2005 Outlook
Bellevue East standout Robert Rands is one of three in-state products in Nebraska’s 2005 recruiting class, all from the greater Omaha area. Rands was a two-way standout for Coach Jerry Lovell at Bellevue East and helped the Chieftains to a state quarterfinal berth.

As a senior, Rands rushed for 1,132 yards and 12 touchdowns, topping the 1,000-yard barrier for the second consecutive season. Rands capped his senior year with a 111-yard effort in the state quarterfinal game against Omaha Westside, including a 63-yard touchdown run. Rands ranks as Bellevue East’s all-time leading rusher with 2,650 yards, while also starring at defensive back, where he earned All-Nebraska honors as a junior.

Rands boasts excellent speed and displayed outstanding punt return abilities as a prepster. Rands’ rushing effort as a senior earned him all-class, all-state honors from both the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star.

Rivals.com ranked Rands as the No. 4 prospect in the state of Nebraska, while Scout.com listed him as the No. 40 player on its Midlands Hot 100 list.

Rands has great athletic ability, as evidenced by winning three straight Class A state long jump titles, including a pair of all-class golds. Rands broke former NFL great Gale Sayers’ 44-year-old state long jump record of 24-10 1/2 on the first attempt of his senior season and also surpassed Sayer’s high school state meet record set the same year (1961). He owns a personal-best leap of 25-1 3/4, which ranked second nationally among all high school athletes in 2005. He won the long jump at the U.S. Junior Championships in late June to qualify for the Pan American Junior Championships.

For his senior efforts on the runway, as well as the girdiron, Rands was named the Omaha World-Herald Nebraska high school boys athlete of the year and he shared the same honor from the Lincoln Journal Star.

He attended Big Red Football School, and also received recruiting interest from Kansas, Iowa, Colorado State and Wyoming.

Personal
Rands is the son of Tim and Bambi Rands, and was born on Jan. 28, 1987.