Hawaii Warriors Football

Honolulu, HI—Aloha. Sometimes it means hello, and sometimes it means goodbye, but for Mike Edwards and a few others that came before him, what aloha really means is a second chance at life and football.

It was almost two years ago on a cool Knoxville, Tennessee, morning that Edwards says he knew he was going to need a second chance. The 18-year-old freshman Tennessee Volunteer had just been arrested with two of his teammates for attempted aggravated robbery and knew the future was bleak.

"Am I going to ever be able to play football again?" Edwards said he wondered the moment he was arrested. "And here I am this Saturday getting ready to start in a big game in Hawaii, and it's one of the best feelings I ever had in my life."

The transition from a street corner in Tennessee to the sunshine in Hawaii that he's now basking in wasn't quite as quick or as easy as Edwards explained it this week (charges against Edwards were eventually dismissed), but it's easy to forgive him because right now he's as happy as a kid on Christmas morning about to unwrap his two favorite presents:

Family and football.

"Yes sir, (that's) my mom, my dad, my aunt, my uncle and my two cousins, from Cleveland, Ohio." Edwards said, gesturing toward the stands where his family was gathered. "It's a great feeling. It's always good to see my mom, that's my number one fan, she's been there from day one, and my dad also, so whenever I can have them in the environment, it makes me even more excited."

The excitement the 5'10", 190-pound sophomore cornerback is feeling wouldn't be possible without the people in Hawaii, head coach Greg McMackin says.

"We've had a lot of guys that we've given second chances to, and the people of Hawaii accept that. And they actually adopt them and make them better people, and I really believe that," McMackin said on Thursday. "I believe a guy has a chance in the state of Hawaii because we have such good people that are forgiving and have had tough times themselves. Our players could not be around better people."

Call it the "aloha spirit." And it has been instrumental in helping McMackin's football team develop a reputation as a second-chance destination for players like Edwards, who was dismissed from Tennessee after his arrest.

"We've had the Davone Besses, the Colt Brennans, and the Pisa Tinoisamoas," said associate head coach Rich Miano, referencing three other players who had been arrested before coming to Hawaii. "And they all seemed to turn out good, and got their degrees, and went on to bigger and better things... If you want a second chance, logistically, it's a great place to be because you can get away from the publicity, you can get away from maybe your friends, your environment.

"And this is a wonderful place because the people here... You will not change the people but the people will change you. And when you get here, you understand these people care and appreciate you as long as you appreciate them, and it's a different type of lifestyle... So I think Mike understands that, and I think it means so much to him that he's conscientious of doing the right thing on and off the field."

On the field, Miano—a former defensive back who starred at Hawaii in the 1980s before playing ten seasons with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles—said Edwards has what you want in a cornerback with his tremendous physical talent and natural ability.

"It's pretty recognizable in terms of his talent, whether it's on film or when we first initially started to watch him move. He has what you're looking for physically in terms of hips, and quickness, and speed, I think what stands out about him is competitiveness... Also, I think he's done a good job, we really run a professional scheme, and we do a lot of different things back there. And he's really trying to learn the intricacies of what we do. So I've been really impressed with his approach."

Off the field, McMackin believes that Edwards has "outlived" the incident from two years ago at Tennessee and is convinced that he is a good person.

"Well, I knew he was a good kid, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The charges were dismissed. I wouldn't bring a person here if they had charges on them... I think their coach was just trying to make a point to be a tough guy with the freshman, and whatever his deal was that's up to him.

"But if a guy's a good kid, and I met his family yesterday and talked to them a bunch when we were recruiting him. He's from a great family, he's a great person, he's a great football player, and we believe in giving guys second chances. We don't give third chances, but we give second chances, and he's turned out to just be an outstanding person."

Edwards visited Hawaii this past January, signed a letter of intent in February and arrived here in July. He said he's a "totally different person" now, and that his growth was achieved "not because of the situation I was in, but because (the situation) allowed me to grow as a person. As a man it allowed me to not let little things get to me, (because) things that can change your life, right then and there, made me make decisions (going forward) that I usually wouldn't have made when I was younger."

Edwards attended a community college in Kansas before choosing a scholarship from Hawaii instead of another mainland school for one reason. "I just wanted to be in open arms around peaceful people, nice people, and just start over again," he said.

Something he didn't think he could do back home.

Since his arrival, Edwards has fallen in love with the people in Hawaii, "Just because they allow me to be here. Allow me to have peace. Allow me to have freedom, and I love them for (that). And I love them for allowing me to go into Aloha Stadium and play my first game here this weekend."

A game he expects the Warriors to win (season opener versus Colorado on Saturday, 4:15 p.m. HST), and believes that Colorado will "give us an okay fight."

"But you gotta always be afraid," he warned.

"I was always taught there's a difference between being scared and afraid. You don't ever want to be scared of your opponent, but you always want to be afraid. You always want to be afraid of your assignments (and how) you're gonna do. You want to be afraid of getting beat, so you'll make sure you don't get beat; you want to be afraid of not catching the ball, so you'll make sure you do catch the ball.

"So I'm just going in here with a lot of confidence, and I'm just going to beat up on my opponent all day."

For Hawaii's coaches who gave him a second chance, Edwards is effusive in his appreciation and gratitude: "I have the utmost respect for Coach Mack first of all, and coach Miano, coach (Tony) Tuioti, coach (Dave) Aranda. Those were the main coaches who recruited me in this process, and man, just for them to give me a second chance at life and at football, it's a great feeling. Whatever they ask me to do, I'm going to do it the first time, it's just a great feeling to have people like that around you."

Coming to Hawaii "was very important for me and my family, and my two-year-old son back home that I got to set an example for. It was just a stride that I had to make, and I'm making it now, so it's a good feeling," Edwards said.

And for his parents, Mike Sr. and Tameeka, "It was a great feeling just to know that their son is back at it, and he's at peace around great people."

Now, "... I'm ready to take flight."

Honolulu, HI—When the Hawaii Warriors rolled into Boulder, Colo., last September for the first game of a home-and-home series with the Colorado Buffaloes, they were on the last leg of a 12-day expedition that zigzagged the continental United States and burned over 10,000 miles in jet fuel.

The Warriors had flown from Honolulu to West Point, N.Y., 10 days prior to play against Army, then after playing Army flew from New York to Las Vegas—their home away from home—where they spent five days in preparation for Colorado, then they traveled back east 800 miles from Las Vegas to Boulder and finally, they pulled on their shoulder pads to try and push around the Buffaloes.

And they did for 30 minutes, 5,360 feet above sea-level at Folsom Field.

The Warriors were up 10-0 at halftime but were outscored 31-3 in the second half and lost 31-13. After the game, Colorado's Tyler Hansen said, "(When the) oxygen tanks were brought on the field, we knew they were gassed."

Colorado came out after halftime and scored on their first possession, going 80 yards on 14 plays. Then less than a minute later, Hawaii's Alex Green was tackled in his own end zone for a safety. Then, Colorado scored another touchdown on their next possession and added a two-point conversion.

"We had them last year, we zipped them in the first half and we couldn't hold onto the lead in the second," said Corey Paredes after Monday's practice.  "We're still thinking about that game. People are still talking about how we should have won, and 'shoulda-coulda-woulda,' but we didn't."

After securing the lead just halfway into the third quarter, Colorado surrendered a 32-yard field goal to Hawaii before putting the game away with two Hansen touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. But it was on the ground where the Buffaloes won the game behind two running backs, Rodney Stewart and Brian Lockridge, who each gained over 100 yards rushing and helped the Buffs to a 35:49 to 24:11 edge in time of possession.

If Hawaii wants to win their season-opener this Saturday against Colorado at Aloha Stadium, they know that stopping the run will be of paramount importance.

"They're going to try to run it," said coach Greg McMackin after Monday's practice. "They have (Rodney) Stewart, a good running back, and they have a couple others that are good players. They've moved all their linebackers to fullback so we know they're going to try to run."

"(Stewart's) really quick. He's a guy that's like Barry Sanders. I used to watch (Sanders) jump laterally, he did that against us one time I couldn't believe it. This kid doesn't jump as far but he has that lateral movement and he did it against us last year, so I think he's outstanding, he's got great speed, and their offensive line is really good."

Linebacker Corey Paredes said it's going to be tough to stop Stewart and that the 5'6", 175-pound senior was smaller than he expected last year. "He hides, so it's tough, because he hides behind his (offensive line) and then he'll burst, and he's quick enough to get into the open field. So it's tough. You just got to play it slow, get into blockers so you could try to read after that. We just got to play it slow and hopefully get this little guy."

At quarterback, McMackin believes Tyler Hansen is underestimated.

"Their quarterback is a very mobile guy so we plan on seeing a lot of bootlegs, a lot of sprint-outs, him getting out of the pocket, a lot of play-action pass...their receivers are good, quarterback is very good, underestimated, but he can cause you a lot of problems," McMackin said.

One area the Warriors hope to cause Colorado a lot of problems in is the secondary. Cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown were drafted in the first and fourth rounds, respectively, in this past April's NFL Draft.

Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz said he was very happy that Smith and Brown were no longer with Colorado.

"I'm glad they're out of there. You know they presented a huge problem for us last year. They were strong and fast, I think the one guy went in the first round, so it's a good thing...they were very good," Moniz said after Monday's practice.

In preparation for Colorado the Warriors have had to dig deep to find film to study because the Buffaloes have an entirely new coaching staff from last year.

Bryant said: "Their scheme is different, but we've played against some of their players that are coming back so we know what kind of athletes they have. We just got to prepare differently, instead of watching film from last year we got to watch their coaches kind of film, their new style of defense, and offense, and that kind of film."

McMackin said that even though Colorado has two new starting corners, one of which is a true freshman, they do not plan on focusing on anyone in particular.

"Our scheme focuses on all their secondary. So whichever one of our guys are open, that's who we're going to throw it to. So depending on what coverages they use, I'm sure they're going to try to cover their corners (with safety help), that'll leave something else open. So we're not really going after their corners we're going after their secondary."

Bryant Moniz and the Hawaiian Flag

Quarterback Bryant Moniz was asked after Monday's practice if he planned to carry out the Hawaiian flag before the Colorado game, a tradition he started last season.

The response was candid and somewhat revealing of the Heisman hopeful who led the nation in passing last year:

"Oh yeah. That's probably the best moment of the game for me. I enjoy that more than, well maybe not; but I do enjoy that a lot, almost as much as touchdowns. I look forward to that point every game.

"There's a few minutes before the game, before that happens, that that's what I'm thinking about. I'm not even thinking about the game. I'm just thinking about, alright, it's time to go.

"I listen to my Bruddah Iz song, and I'm ready to roll. You know, BJ Penn's entrance song. I turn off the lights in my own head and just act like I'm coming out of the tunnel and it's good fun."

Honolulu, HI—Amidst the first real negative news in an otherwise fruitful and healthy pre-season, the Hawaii Warriors are showing the focus and mettle of a championship team determined to settle some unfinished business.

With the season-opener against Colorado on the horizon the last thing coach Greg McMackin wanted to hear over the weekend was that two of his players were arrested for third-degree assault following an altercation at a Waikiki nightclub.

But when you have the luck of landing a player like Stump Godfrey, sometimes you have to deal with a couple players who aren't too bright.

Junior wide receiver Darius Bright and senior linebacker Aaron Brown have been suspended for the Sept. 3 opener because of their alleged involvement in an early-morning fracas Sunday at Zanzabar Nightclub.

"Aaron and Darius used extremely poor judgment and, in turn, embarrassed the football program and the university. These are two young men who have never been in trouble with the law before, but became involved in a situation where they did not make the right choices," McMackin said in a written statement on Monday.

With the suspensions of Bright and Brown, wide receiver Allen Sampson and linebacker George Daily-Lyles, both sophomores, have been thrust into the starting lineup. On Monday, middle linebacker Corey Paredes slid over to Brown's weak-side linebacker spot during practice and Daily-Lyles was in Paredes' usual position.

"It's tough because this kind of stuff doesn't happen too often, some of your best players on the team (getting) suspended. So it's a big loss," team captain Paredes said after practice. "But we got to keep focused...we got Colorado this week (and) we cannot have any distractions...we just have to forget about this, just get over it and play hard on Saturday."

Daily-Lyles, a Long Beach Poly High School product who started two games last season, accepted his increased role with confidence, saying, "I've been ready since spring ball and it's pretty simple. Coach has over-prepared us for any situation, so get out there and it's just second nature pretty much...Coach makes it very easy. He breaks it down to us, 'this is the situation, this is what we're going to do, and this is how we're going to roll with it.' So it's real simple."

Out at wide receiver, the biggest difference between Sampson and Bright is their stature. Sampson is a diminutive 5'7" and 145 pounds, and Bright soars at 6'4" and 230 pounds. Quarterback Bryant Moniz joked after Monday's practice that:

"He's harder to see. He's about two feet shorter than Darius."

But Sampson also brings his own set of skills to the table, Moniz said. "He's fast, he's quick, so he's a different kind of receiver compared to Darius who's tall and big. So he'll present different challenges for (Colorado's) defense...I've gotten a lot of reps with (Sampson) over the fall camp, between him and Darius they both switched out a lot, so I feel comfortable with Allen. I don't think we'll miss a beat having him in."

Sampson appeared in 13 games as a true freshman last season but did not have any receptions. He averaged 20.3 yards on 15 kick returns, a sign of his tremendous speed.

The Tampa, Fla., native said "it feels good [to start], but it's unfortunate that everything happened with D-Bright and AB. I feel like D-Bright, he's been the greatest teacher to me. He always told me to be ready just in case, and everything. So I feel bad that everything happened, and at the same time I'm going to do it for him...And Mo [Moniz], I think he's a great adjuster, so I'll be able to get the ball still."

McMackin said that the game-plan for Colorado was set last Friday and that the suspensions wouldn't change anything. He said that he met with the team Monday morning and that things are going on as usual. "These guys are great guys, they're focused...you know I'm really excited for the ballgame."

Last season in a game at Colorado the Warriors led 10-0 at halftime, but they couldn't hold onto the lead in the second half and ended up losing 31-13.

"We have some unfinished business with these guys and we just want to finish it," Paredes said.

Honolulu, HI—When the Hawaii football team runs onto Aloha Stadium's turf this Saturday (4:15pm HST) for its season-opener behind quarterback Bryant Moniz and the Hawaiian flag, it will have been exactly 253 days since their season-ending loss to Tulsa at the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

A 62-35 Golden-Hurricane blowout was not the way Hawaii planned to finish 2010, now, after eight-plus months stewing with a "bitter taste" in their mouth, the Warriors are ready to start 2011 by hunting Buffaloes. Colorado Buffaloes.

The biggest issue confronting Hawaii on its quest to defend their WAC championship — and avenge their 31-13 loss to Colorado last season — is replacing nine starters on the offensive side of the ball.

Most importantly, all five offensive linemen.

Centering the new offensive line for the Warriors will be Matagisila Lefiti, who doesn't seem the least bit concerned about the prospect of starting five new linemen.

"Everything's looking fine," Lefiti said after practice last week. "Guys are ready, and excited, and just anxious to go play.

"It's been the same every year, we get a bunch of new guys (on the offensive line), they jell, and it works out. So no one's really worried about, well us in particular, we're not worried about going out there and blowing it, because we've been working hard and we're ready to go.

"It's time to get it."

Lefiti, a fifth-year senior from Pavaivai, American Samoa, was expected to start last season at center before an injury kept him out of the first few games. He still appeared in 11 games as a reserve, but besides him the Warriors are exceptionally thin on offensive line experience.

Clayton Laurel, a senior with only six career appearances due to a slew of past injuries, will start at left tackle. Next to him at left guard will be Brett Leonard, a JUCO transfer who started one game as a junior last season and appeared in five.

On the right side, red-shirt freshman Sean Shigematsu will start at tackle and Chauncy Winchester-Makainai, a sophomore with 13 appearances last season on special teams, will start at guard.

One thing the Warriors hope to have in their favor to start the season is the crowd.

"I'm pretty excited about the crowd. Our fans are always loyal, they're always faithful to us with their support and everything, I'm sure it's going to be outrageous," said wide receiver Royce Pollard, who along with Moniz are the only two starters returning on offense.

"We're going to have fans out there really trying to give us that extra boost...and give us that (home-field) advantage."

Slot receiver Jeremiah Ostrowski said the crowd he expects at Aloha Stadium is "going to be crazy. I know Colorado, a lot of Hawaii people go to Colorado and a lot of people from Colorado come to Hawaii too. So the atmosphere is going to be good.

"I got a lot of friends that graduated from there, so personally, for me, it's going to be a fun game to play in, but I'm sure it is for everyone else too."

Lefiti said he "hopes it's exactly how (Pollard and Ostrowski) explained it...our crowd to be there and cheer us on.

But "to be quiet when we're playing on offense so we can execute what we got to do."

Execute Buffaloes, Hawaii hopes.

Honolulu, HI—It's not every day that you wake up and go to work in the morning to find that someone has left a big present in your office. Hawaii football coach Greg McMackin just had one of those days.

Former Gilmer High School all-state quarterback, and 2009 "Mr. Texas," Darian "Stump" Godfrey celebrated his 20th birthday in style on Tuesday by gifting himself to McMackin and the Hawaii Warrior football team.

That's a rather unique twist on your birthday; giving someone else a present.

Godfrey was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Texas high school football history. In three stellar years starting for the Gilmer Buckeyes, Godfrey passed for 9,344 yards and 116 touchdowns and on the ground he rushed for 2,350 yards and 49 scores.

As a senior in 2009 Godfrey threw for 3,581 yards and 42 touchdowns, rushed for 848 yards and 22 scores, and led Gilmer to a 15-0 record and the 3A Division I state title.

Suffice it to say, when he decided to transfer from New Mexico after just one dismal season in 2010—the Lobos were 1-11, Godfrey made four starts—he could have gone anywhere he wanted to. He chose Hawaii because "he liked the offense," McMackin said after Wednesday's practice.

"You know he's a pleasant surprise because he's a great kid, he (came to Hawaii) all on his own. (New Mexico) didn't release him to anybody that they were going to play in the next three years...So therefore we couldn't talk to him, we couldn't help him get in school...he had to make all these arrangements (on his own)."

Godfrey applied to and gained admission at the university earlier this month. Then he packed his bags, made travel arrangements and came to Hawaii to be a Warrior due to "the way they played the game," he said. "They showed how great teams can play and they play as a family most of all, and they love each other, and it shows when they play."

Due to NCAA transfer rules, Godfrey has to redshirt this season and pay his own tuition until next August at the earliest when Hawaii has the choice to offer him a scholarship. Next season Hawaii is switching to the Mountain West Conference, where New Mexico is a member.

"We can't give him a scholarship, he's a walk-on and I have a lot of respect for him that he liked how we played football, and had a lot of places he could have gone. I'm very glad he's here," McMackin said.

Godfrey, who is allowed to practice with the team while he redshirts, was happy to be welcomed with open arms on Tuesday, his first day with the team after arriving in Hawaii on Sunday.

"It's going great man, I'm enjoying it, every bit of it," the new Warrior said after Wednesday's practice. "It's just relaxing, enjoyable, and all the coaches are friendly and teammates too, so I just come out here and have a good time with the team (and) with the players around (me) it's just a great feeling."

Coming out of high school many of the top football programs in the country tried to recruit Godfrey as an "athlete" instead of a quarterback, but the Texan balked at that idea and chose New Mexico because they offered him what he wanted: a chance to play quarterback.

But why is Godfrey so adamant about maintaining his position at quarterback when his physical abilities could lead him to success at many other positions?

It's simple, he says. When you're the quarterback "it's just eyes on you and you're the guy. You just got to be that leader that brings the team up and if you're not going well the team's gonna have a little funk. So you just gotta bring it to the table every day and that's what it is. The quarterback, he's that guy and he's just got to be that great leader and that's what I like...I just like to thrive in the moment and have fun with my guys."

The dual-threat quarterback thinks he will fit in well with Hawaii's run-and-shoot offense and next year will get a chance to compete for the starting job according to McMackin.

"I think I fit in pretty good. I can throw it around a little bit and then I can also tuck it down and run. Obviously I'm coachable, you got to be coachable to every coach. That's what I bring to the table, I'm going to be a great leader, I'm going to give the team everything I got," Godfrey said.

The most challenging part about coming to Hawaii, he says, is that he doesn't know anyone here. None of the players, none of the coaches, no one. He was born and bred in Gilmer, Tex., and "lived there his whole life" until moving to New Mexico last year.

Godfrey had never been to Hawaii before either, but "my family was telling me, because my aunt and uncle came on a vacation, they was telling me how great it was and how much I'm going to enjoy it.

"(And then) I came out here and everything was true and it's just a beautiful place."

Admittedly, McMackin says that Godfrey wasn't on Hawaii's radar coming out of Gilmer High School in east Texas because they don't recruit high schools much in that area, focusing their efforts on junior colleges instead.

"But with (Godfrey's) credentials and what he's thought like, from what I understand, in east Texas, we might utilize his reputation and do a little more east Texas recruiting," McMackin said.

And from what he's seen on the practice field, McMackin said Godfrey's "smart as heck. He throws a great ball plus he can run. We haven't even seen him run, I just met him yesterday, but he's got a rocket arm, he throws some touch balls, and he was working with our scout team but he was throwing with the guys on routes against error and he throws a good ball."

Undoubtedly he throws a good ball.

Hawaii is lucky to have him.

Honolulu, HI—Last night the University of Hawaii football team practiced for the first time under the bright lights at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

This past Tuesday the Warriors tested the new field during the day, but coach Greg McMackin wanted his players to get an opportunity at night.

Most importantly, McMackin said, was for punt and kick returners to have experience catching footballs in the stadium's lights.

Hawaii newcomer Scott Harding said he has caught his fair share of footballs at night while playing professionally in Australian Rules Football.

"It was good to get under the lights and get used to catching those balls in the dark so it was good practice," the 25-year-old freshman receiver/returner said after practice.

"Probably half the games I played (in Australia) were at night so I guess that's not a big issue, but it's still good to catch some under the lights."

For those who do not know, the NCAA considers Harding eligible to play football for the Warriors because Australian Rules Football is different from American football. If he had played in the NFL, he would not be eligible.

As for the one month he has been living in Hawaii, Harding said "I'm loving life. Good lifestyle, awesome weather, so I can't complain."

The Colorado Buffaloes, who Hawaii opens its schedule with on Sept. 3, announced their depth chart yesterday and the most shocking of revelations is that three true freshman have been named starters.

Of the three freshman, right cornerback Greg Henderson will likely face the stiffest challenge against Hawaii—the other two starters are at placekicker and punter. Last season the Warriors led the nation in passing with 5,520 yards.

Delivered with the somewhat shocking announcement after practice Hawaii's Darius Bright, who is a projected starter at wide receiver, said:

"They got a lot of faith in him I guess. I'm not a veteran in this offense too much but (we) got Royce Pollard. He's damn near a veteran right now, he's a 'living legend' out there on the field, so they must got a lot of faith in (Henderson).

"He must be a pretty good athlete. (Come Sept. 3) we're just gonna see who, even at his age, who got it."

Honolulu, HI—The Hawaii football team wrapped up its 18-day training camp on Saturday with their biggest crowd to date in attendance. Nearly a hundred fans found their way to T.C. Ching Field for the unpublicized morning practice and viewed the team from metal bleachers overlooking the field.

Call them "Die-hards."

"It's great. (For them) to take the time out of the day to come check out our practice when they could be doing something else, it's wonderful," defensive tackle Kaniela Tuipulotu said after practice. "You can see the kind of faith that they have in us so that just makes us want to work harder to keep their faith in us and keep them coming back for more."

Senior strong safety Richard Torres said "it's real comforting to see that (everyone) is supporting us. It's really inspiring to know that we got something to play for, so we just can't wait to see them on September 3, (against Colorado)."

With only two starters returning for the Warriors on offense, head coach Greg McMackin has made it known that he expects a bigger, better and faster defense. Tuipulotu and Torres are two of McMackin's leaders on that side of the ball and against the Buffaloes he will find out if their hard work in training camp will pay off.

Torres believes it will.

"So far we're looking pretty good, towards the end of camp now you're going to see everything coming together, so it's looking like a nice picture," he said. "Everyday we're just trying to get better and from where we are now to where we started we made a big jump, a lot of improvement. So we're really excited (and) starting to get ready to play against (Colorado)."

Asked what they were able to gather from the full-speed scrimmage against the offense on Thursday, Torres said "it was just good being able to finally tackle. We've been working on a lot of our techniques on different (methods); tackling low, when to take certain angles, and whatnot. So in the scrimmage it was nice to see it and our coaches said everyone's been using the techniques right. So we just got to keep drilling it, keep drilling it, and then get ready for the game."

During his preseason WAC media day press conference, McMackin said that his two defensive tackles, Vaughn Meatoga and Tuipulotu, are two of the best in the country.

"I've coached some really good guys, Cortez Kennedy and Sam Adams, the point being I think these two guys are as good as anybody in the country," he said.

Knowing there are high expectations from McMackin heading into the season Tuipulotu is happy with where the team is.

"Right now I think we're exactly where we want to be," he said. "We're still working to perfect everything; make sure we know everything like the back of our hands, so when the calls come in we don't have to think about anything. It's just 'Bam...we line up and just get to work.' "

Against Colorado we have to "make sure we get our calls in and align correctly just in case they try to do the hurry-up. So just eliminate the panic and what happens when they do hurry-up on us, and just be calm and get the calls and play ball."

Honolulu, HI—The Hawaii football team scrimmaged against each other on Thursday. This does not mean there weren't any big hits or shoving matches to get everyone riled up though. Linebacker Aaron Brown delivered an exclamation point to the extracurriculars when he flew airborne into one of the piles.

"Brown swore that he was jumping on top of that pile to split it up so that it would be the parting sea," head coach Greg McMackin joked afterward. "He always says some deal when he's jumping into the end zone or there's somebody chasing him or something." (A reference to last year's game at New Mexico State when Brown returned an interception for a touchdown but drew a 15-yard penalty for diving headfirst over the goal line.)

McMackin wasn't too concerned with his players fighting though.

"You know (we) practice together a long time and I'm glad they had the discipline to break it up...it's a good teaching point because you can't fight. Obviously there's a fighting rule, you'll miss two ballgames so it allows me to cover that. Plus, they're getting excited to play someone else."

McMackin applauded the efforts of his defensive unit saying they did a good job of swarming to the ball, tackling and covering, and that "we're about where we want to be."

Brown, the team's starting MAC linebacker, appreciated the opportunity to get after it against his offensive teammates.

"It was good. It's always a good time to go full speed and kind of shake the cobwebs off and hit a little bit. They're going to take hits during the game so they might want to get used to it now...you got to go balls to the wall," he said.

Quarterback Bryant Moniz wasn't so sure about that, saying it's never easy to watch your friends get beat up.

"I don't know if it's fun for offensive guys to watch your own guys get beat up, but it's what coach wants to see, it's part of the game. Maybe they got a lot of testosterone built up on the defense so they had to let it out," he said.

The Warriors wrap up their training camp with practices today and tomorrow, school starts on Monday.

Being Hawaiian and playing for the University of Hawaii is very special...

Honolulu, HI—It has been 15 minutes since the Hawaii football team finished practice on this August day and quarterback Bryant Moniz is sitting on the ground signing autographs.

He is as happy as can be.

It's not the task at hand which has the former Leilehua High School standout reveling in such high spirits, though. Moniz is not the type of person content with attention and fame.

Rather, it's his fortune: Cali.

Cali, his three-year-old daughter, is sitting next to him, oftentimes climbing on top of him, her sun-kissed golden-blond hair blowing in the wind.

She's the reason Moniz is where he's at he says, "embracing" his time as Hawaii's quarterback.

"You know, I never expected all of this to come about," Moniz says before sitting down to sign autographs.

"For me, this is all icing on the cake and I just embrace every moment of it."

Things are good now for Moniz. Last month the University of Hawaii launched a "Bryant Moniz for Heisman" campaign to drum up support for his senior season.

They used "Mighty Mo" as their catchphrase, it's a reference to the battleship USS Missouri  moored just 12 miles from their campus at Pearl Harbor.

One of four Iowa-class battleships built by the United States Navy during the Pacific War, the Missouri  is decorated with 11 battle stars for service in the Korean War, the Gulf War, and World War II.

In its heyday, "Mighty Mo's" trademark feature was nine 16-inch guns that could fire a 2,700-pound shell 23 miles in 50 seconds.

With pinpoint accuracy.

Fast-forward to 2011 and it's easy to see why Hawaii decided to borrow the storied battleship's nickname.

Last season Moniz threw for 5,040 yards and 39 touchdowns. Leading the nation in both categories and leading Hawaii to a Western Athletic Conference co-championship.

This upcoming season he has been named to the watch lists for the Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award and numerous Heisman Trophy watch lists.

I would say Moniz deserves to be called "Mighty Mo" even if he only has one gun instead of nine.

His right arm is deadly if you're a defensive coordinator trying to defend him.

Always has been.

When Moniz was a sophomore at Leilehua High School on Oahu he exploded for 2,879 yards passing and 27 touchdowns.

When he was a junior he broke his collarbone, only played 13 quarters, and still threw for 1,018 yards. When he was a senior for the Mules in 2006 his head coach Nolan Tokuda told a local newspaper reporter:

"My only criticism of Bryant is that he is a senior."

That year he threw for 1,662 yards, 20 touchdowns, and earned himself all-state honors.

But for the college football "experts," whose job it is to scour gridirons across the country every year in hopes of finding the next Tim Tebow—or Colt Brennan if you prefer—Moniz wasn't even a blip on their radar.

"I really don't know," Moniz says when asked why no one offered him a scholarship.

"Maybe I'm not your typical-sized quarterback, just making six feet, a lot of guys are like 6' 3" and taller. You know, those kind of things."

Sometimes a highly accomplished player who does not garner any scholarship offers coming out of high school would hold a grudge against the system that slighted them.

"No, that's not in my personality," Moniz says. "I just kind of like to roll with the punches. Live with the way life goes."

In 2007, his life went to California.

Fresno City College was his destination.

His long-time girlfriend Kiley went along and took classes with him.

"It was totally different," he says. "That was the first time I saw the seasons change, you know? I got to witness fall, the winter, it was cold."

As a freshman for Fresno City College, Moniz quickly became the team's starting quarterback and threw for 2,268 yards and 18 scores, he also rushed for two touchdowns.

His coach Tony Caviglia once remarked that Moniz would often wait at his office in the morning before he showed up, eager to watch film and learn the offense.

"It was fun. A change of life," Moniz says. "Living on your own, cooking your own meals and stuff like that. I thought it was a great experience, a great time for me to grow up."

But it wasn't meant to last. Kiley became pregnant and the two had an important decision to make. Stay in Fresno for Moniz' sophomore season, or pack up and return to Hawaii where football would have to be placed on the back burner.

"The biggest thing was having my daughter," Moniz says about leaving Fresno.

"I wanted to have her here, raise her here, so that's the main reason why we came home. She was born here on June 19th. I went there for the one season, one semester, and I flew home."

As a young boy from Wahiawa on the island of Oahu, Moniz says he was too immersed in activities to follow the Hawaii Warriors football team he is now a part of.

"I grew up always playing a lot of sports, baseball, soccer, football. I was very active in all those things throughout the year," he says.

"I started surfing when I was about eight, (now) I surf when I can."

Moniz learned how to surf at Haleiwa, but now he "follows the waves. Wherever it is around the island that's where I go. I like to boogie board Waimea sandbar, surf Aliʻis, surf Off-the-Wall, you know, just wherever."

Moniz also started stand up paddle surfing, the newest craze in water sports.

For those who don't know, "SUPing" involves a larger than normal surfboard, a long paddle, and yes, paddling yourself down the face of a wave.

"I really like it," he says. "Ever since I started (SUPing) I never touched a regular surfboard. I'm hooked on it."

But even with all the sandbars, surf and sunshine, not everything has been easy for Moniz since he moved back. After enrolling at a local community college just to get enough credits to be eligible at Hawaii, he still had to try out for the team.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to make it," he says. "I remember waiting after the walk-on tryouts and it seemed like, I think we had to wait over the weekend, but it seemed like forever.

"I was like 'Damn, am I going to get a call? How does this work?' So when I finally found out that I made it, brah, that was probably one of the biggest things for me," he says, the relief and excitement still noticeable in his voice.

"And then from there it was just finding my role on the team. So I played special teams, tried to do some things on scout defense. I was just trying to get the coaches to get a look at me."

And if he didn't make the team what would he have done?

"That's tough to say, you know I never did really think that. I don't know, failing I guess wasn't an option for me. I don't think I would have known what to do until it actually happened."

Luckily, it didn't happen.

And what about his fame?

"I think it just comes with the territory," Moniz says.

"For me, making the team was a big-enough accomplishment. It only lasts for so long, so I just enjoy every moment."

...I carry the Hawaiian flag out every game to always remind me of what I'm playing for, it's the Hawaiian culture, the State of Hawaii that I represent. - Bryant Moniz.

Email me at kevriley15@hotmail.com

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