LaDaris Vann's first University of Cincinnati reception was barely worth mentioning, a 3-yard gain on a Deontey Kenner pass in the 1999 opener against Kent State.

        It occurred with 7:02 left in the second quarter on first-and-10 from UC's 12. To Vann, it felt like a 50-yard touchdown reception.

        “I had to jump and reach out and catch it,” Vann said. “It was a great moment for me to get my first college career catch.”

        There was a time a few years earlier when Vann wondered if he would ever get the chance to make even such a routine catch at a Division I-A school.

        He played option quarterback at Fort Pierce (Fla.) Central High School, where he was all-state as a junior. But after a dispute with a Fort Pierce teacher resulted in his suspension, he transfered to Spanish River High for his senior year, only to learn after three games that the state had ruled his transfer improper and declared him ineligible for football.

        Without that ruling, Vann probably would not have landed at UC, where, with seven catches Saturday against East Carolina, the junior wide receiver will break Marlon Pearce's school record of 125 set from 1990-92.

        During his first three years of high school, Vann assumed he would play college football close to home in Florida. But when he didn't play his senior year, much of the interest in him dried up. Because he stands only 5feet9, major schools that were interested saw him as a defensive back.

        Vann resisted.

        “I always wanted to be a receiver,” Vann said. “But every school that recruited me wanted me to be a DB. I told them no. I wanted to play offense. I could go out there and tackle people, but that ain't my objective.”

        UC's Rick Minter was one of the few big-school coaches who wanted Vann as a receiver. “We just saw a tremendous athlete, a strong guy physically and an explosive athlete,” Minter said.

        Before he's finished, Vann probably will hold every major UC receiving record. He needs 22 catches in UC's remaining three games to break Tom Rossley's 1968 mark of 80 in one season. He has at least one catch in 28 straight games, five short of Jason Stargel's record (1982-86). And he's on pace to finish the season at least fifth on the career receiving yardage list with more than 1,500, well within reach of Jim O'Brien's 2,285 (1967-69).

        All this, despite not being very tall, not possessing blazing speed and playing in an offense that only recently emphasized the pass to take advantage of freshman quarterback Gino Guidugli.

        “I'm able to make guys miss,” Vann said. “I'm not going to run up the sideline with 4.3 speed to burn someone. I try to do my best with my body position and the strength I've got over cornerbacks.”

        Vann, who also plays outfield for UC's baseball team, is having the time of his life this year as Guidugli's primary target and UC's punt returner. But he wasn't so happy last year when another suspension almost caused him to transfer. Vann was accused by a UC student of rape. No criminal charges were filed, and he was never arrested, but the school suspended him for a year for assault and harassment.

        He missed only three games after a federal judge ordered his reinstatement, ruling that his due-process rights had been violated.

        Vann, who ranks eighth nationally with 59 catches this season, needs only to hit his average of 7.3 catches per game to break Pearce's record Saturday.

        “I'd like to (break the record on) the last first down of the game to seal the victory,” Vann said, “or a touchdown. As long as we win the game with my catch.”

Vann poised for UC record UC-NKU on sale today

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