Ex-UNLV lineman Tony Terrell is definition of student-athlete, Hall-of-Famer

As a UNLV offensive lineman, Tony Terrell was one of the team’s best player spokesmen, knowing what to say and how to say it.

The combination of being a top football player and one so cooperative with the media made him a favorite among those covering the Rebels.

So Terrell knew where to go last week for an interview, the place on campus a photo and video would work best. He took a reporter, photographer and videographer to that spot, and then for nearly 25 minutes answered questions in the same professional way as before, providing insight into how he went from Tony the guard to Dr. Terrell.

But then Terrell, wearing a black shirt and red tie with a UNLV pin, couldn’t hold in his emotions any longer when asked about the educational journey he has made.

“I think the main thing is seeing somebody with a goal or ambition and being willing to invest the time into them,” Terrell said as he unsuccessfully fought back tears. “I think that’s the other part is there have been very unselfish people that have put time into me. As human beings when you do that, you keep faith and you keep hope alive for people.”

Terrell, 36, will be inducted into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame on May 4 at the Strip View Pavilion in the Thomas & Mack Center. He is part of an eight-member class that also includes the 2003 baseball team.

What Terrell did on the field was enough by itself to garner such an honor, starting throughout his college career from 1999 to 2002, including 40 games in a row. He earned first-team All-Mountain West as a senior.

After his dreams of playing in the NFL didn’t materialize, Terrell returned to UNLV to build on his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and social sciences from 2002. He picked up a master’s in 2007 in physical education and a doctorate in sports education leadership in 2012. He now is the assistant director of learning support at the university’s Academic Success Center.

Terrell has been such an inspiration to his mother, Sherry McKnight, that she is working on her doctorate thesis.

“I’m thankful for Tony for the kind of kid he turned out to be,” McKnight said. “Like I tell people all the time, this is his world. He invited me into his world, and it has been a blessing.”

Going to UNLV

Now a part of UNLV for nearly 20 years, Terrell first caught the eye of former Rebels coach Jeff Horton during a football camp in the summer of 1997. Terrell performed so well that he beat out skill-position players to become camp MVP.

“The first thing I noticed was his big smile and how polite and friendly he was,” said Horton, now the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at San Diego State. “When you talked with him, you knew he had a plan to be a great player, and it was his mission to make it a reality.

“I saw a big athletic kid with a great frame which he could grow into and become a very special player. He was really light on his feet and extremely competitive.”

Horton offered Terrell a scholarship, and the choice came down to the Rebels and Washington State.

“My friends wondered, ‘Why are you going to UNLV? They’re not that good,’ ” Terrell said. “For me, it was the people, making a connection with Coach Horton, and them staying true to their word throughout the recruiting process of my senior year.”

Terrell redshirted in his one season under Horton, and then fulfilled the coach’s expectations when John Robinson took over. After his playing days ended at the college level, Terrell felt his world go into a tailspin.

Help from those close to him, including Mike Ellis Sr., helped pull Terrell out of the abyss. Ellis, who died in 2010, ran a company that sold UNLV apparel, and he bought Terrell his first blazer and dress shoes for a job interview.

“It was very tough because you put your life and your soul and your efforts into something for eight or nine years, and it doesn’t work out,” Terrell said. “I was at my lowest, and if it wasn’t for people like Mike Ellis, may he rest in peace, and people in the athletic department, I would probably be some sad story who’s down and out and an alcoholic or something.”

Like son, like mother

Just as others nudged Terrell, he convinced his mother that if she was to advance at Bank of America, where she was an investment officer, she would need to finish her degree.

McKnight followed her son’s advice, and went on to get a bachelor’s in African-American Studies at UNLV in 2007 and a master’s in work force education in 2012. In May 2018, she will receive a doctorate in teaching and learning.

“He’s my youngest kid of three, and he’s always prodded me,” McKnight said.

The two also have always been close, and when Terrell was 3 or 4 he asked a stranger in a grocery store to marry his recently divorced mother. He couldn’t stand to see her cry anymore.

“I couldn’t believe it,” McKnight said. “He was looking out for me. That’s how my life has been.”

Like Terrell was as a player when he was one of the leaders and a protector of the quarterback. It’s why he’s headed to the hall of fame.

“I can put a seal of completion on this phase of my life with athletics and say I may not have made it to the pro mountain top,” Terrell said, “but college ain’t bad.”

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