Former Rebel Dodd-Masters still in the game

When Ruschard Dodd-Masters suited up for his last UNLV football game, way back in 2004 under coach John Robinson, he figured he would simply move on and keep playing the sport he loved so much.

But even though that NFL dream didn’t work out, it doesn’t mean he was done with football.

Dodd-Masters, in fact, is still going at the retirement-ready age of 33, and he is back in Las Vegas this weekend with the Arena Football League’s Spokane Shock. They play the Las Vegas Outlaws at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“Any time you love something, it comes pretty easy,” Dodd-Masters said. “I’ve been groomed for this since I was a young gent at 6, 7 years old. Back then, that was our avenue away from the ghetto (in Richmond, Calif.), as the world would call it. It’s my love, so I hold on to it and I cherish it and I do everything possible to stay in shape and keep my abilities and my time where they need to be so I’m able to make the team.”

He is excited about returning to Las Vegas and seeing old friends, and it’s been a long time since Dodd-Masters has been back. His last visit was in 2006.

It’s not that he didn’t enjoy his time in Las Vegas. The issue was he enjoyed it a little too much.

“At one point in time, I felt Vegas in my last year (at UNLV) kind of got the best of me,” Dodd-Masters said. “In 2004, my head got a little big. I thought I was going to be at that next level. If you don’t have the mindset that’s needed to be in Vegas, Vegas will eventually catch up to you.

“I was only going to party on the weekends, but the weekends start for you on Thursday sometimes. So it’s not a good deal trying to be a professional athlete. It’s not a sad story. It’s just a lesson learned that I pass on to the next generation.”

Part of that lesson was realizing just difficult it is to make the NFL.

Dodd-Masters started 21 games at cornerback over his final two seasons at UNLV, and six games in 2002 at corner and nickelback. Even at 6 feet and 185 pounds, he was a physical cornerback who was responsible for 159 career tackles, but just three interceptions.

Still, Dodd-Masters was convinced he was headed to the NFL. Looking back, he now uses the words “prideful” and “arrogant” to describe his belief he would make it to that league.

Now he’s become a quality player in another, but reaching the AFL wasn’t easy.

He spent six seasons in the Arena Football League’s minor league, af2, an eternity by arena standards. Many players, heck most players, wouldn’t have stuck it out, choosing to do something else with their lives.

Dodd-Masters didn’t. He was determined to play football, and that break finally came with the Shock in 2011, making an immediate impact not only as a defensive back but a kick returner.

At defensive back, he made 78 tackles that initial season and broke up six passes and intercepted two others. Dodd-Masters averaged 16.2 yards as a kickoff returner, bringing one back for a touchdown.

He played for the San Jose Sabercats in 2012, and then returned to Spokane a year later, a productive player at both stops.

That appeared to be it for his playing days, however, as Dodd-Masters then moved into coaching, overseeing the Shock’s defensive backs in 2014. Coaching probably will be in his future as well, but in that one season, Dodd-Masters also realized he wasn’t finished playing.

So he returned to the playing field this season, and has recorded 19½ tackles, five pass breakups and an interception through seven games. He also averages 18.4 yards per kickoff return.

Now he hopes to keep playing two more seasons beyond this one.

“I think they’re predicated on this one season,” Dodd-Masters said. “If I do well enough, which I will, and get my stats up where they need to be, then I’ll be a more reliable product that somebody would want. I have to put in this year first before I can even think about the other years to come.”

NOTE — Outlaws wide receiver Tysson Poots, who went to Coronado High School, was activated. He replaces wide receiver Gerald Young, who was placed on inactive reserve.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.