If you thought State Street was a distraction, imagine bright lights, casinos, theme parks, roller coasters on top of buildings, and all-you-can eat buffets within reach of your dorm. At the University of Las Vegas, this is a reality. However, Adam Seward, linebacker for UNLV, will tell you when you’re busy hitting people, there’s really no distraction.

Seward, who accumulated 133 total tackles last season, grew up outside of Vegas. The first question that comes to everyone’s mind: what was it like growing up in the entertainment capital of the world?

Seward asserts he was able to keep enough distance between himself and the glitz and glamour of downtown Las Vegas. “A lot of people tease you, a lot of people think you live on the strip, but Vegas has a lot of suburbs,” Seward said. “Henderson (Seward’s hometown) is just one big suburb of Vegas; it’s just like every other residential town.”

From an early age, Seward enjoyed playing football in the warm Nevada air, even if it was with just a few kids that lived on his block. Seward then made the move on to a Pop Warner football team. While he started as an offensive lineman, he quickly grew bored of all the monotonous blocking.

“I started out playing offensive line, but I got sick of blocking for people,” Seward said. “So I came back next season and decided to start hitting people, so they stuck me at linebacker and I’ve been there ever since.”

Seward continued football into high school, where he was a standout, despite how poorly his high school team faired. Seward’s high school team was winless his sophomore year and only got one win his junior season. Seward, however, kept his team focused and led them to three hard-fought victories his senior year.

While Seward did not collect many wins on the gridiron, he was the Nevada state wrestling champion in the heavyweight division. Seward also threw discus and shot put for the track team.

When it finally came to choosing a school to play for, the choice was obvious.

“UNLV just jumped on me from the start,” Seward said. “I think they were looking for some local kids.”

Being a hometown kid at any school brings extra support, and it has been no different for Seward.

“Being a local kid, you get a lot of publicity,” Seward said. “I’ve gotten a lot of support since I’ve signed; sometimes a hundred or so [local fans] show up to cheer me on.”

Seward redshirted his freshman year and then played in 11 games that year and had 60 tackles, six of them for loss.

Seward broke out of his shell sophomore year, leading the MWC in tackles with a notable 11.1 per game. Seward needs only 102 more tackles to become the all-time tackling leader at UNLV.

Football runs in the Seward family. Adam’s father, Tom, has 27 years of football experience and was co-captain of the 1978 NCAA Div. II champion Eastern Illinois squad. Seward knows his father is watching him intently during the games.

“After every game I call him up,” Seward said. “It’s great to have a father along with the coaches to give you advice.”

If he doesn’t end up in the NFL, Seward hopes to work in the world of finance, especially in the Southwest, where his minor in Spanish would be a good asset.

In the meantime, Seward is able to keep the strip at bay but does admit to taking a few trips to the hot spots. It seems not even the sin of the city keeps Seward away.

“In Las Vegas you really have to spend a ton of money — if you don’t take your date to a good show, you’re considered a cheap date.”