In voting by the team, four seniors were chosen as captains for the 2008 Nevada football team, head coach Chris Ault announced Thursday evening.
On the offensive side of the ball, center Dominic Green and running back Luke Lippincott were chosen. Joining them from the defensive side are defensive tackle Mundrae Clifton and linebacker Joshua Mauga.
"This is an excellent group of captains. I think all four of them were great choices," Nevada coach Chris Ault said. "This group, a thing that defines each of them is that they are leaders and leaders by example. And that is what we need with this young football team."
Mauga is the only repeat selection as captain. The Fallon native is a four-year starter who was voted captain in 2007. He has 170 career tackles and is a candidate for WAC Defensive Player of the Year this season. Mauga has been named Preseason All-WAC by several publications and is on the Watch List for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's top linebacker.
Clifton is one of the strongest players ever at Nevada. In the offseason, he set the school record with an 805-pound lift in the squat. He came on last year along side Matt Hines on the defensive line and is poised to emerge as one of the top defensive tackles in the WAC this season.
Green is another of Nevada's four-year starters and is a three-time All-WAC honoree. For the second year in a row, he is on the Fall Watch List for the 2008 Rimington Trophy, given annually to the nation's top center.
Lippincott is the reigning WAC rushing king after a 1,420-yard, 15-touchdown performance in 2007. The WAC Offensive Player of the Year candidate has more than 2,000 all-purpose yards in his career and has scored 27 career touchdowns.
