Scholarship offers are out … A short talk with Te’o
By Dave Reardon
The ones we know of from UH (to local players): Billy Ray Stutzmann, Chad Lopati, Manti Te’o and Stan Hasiak. There are others we haven’t confirmed.
I spoke with Manti for the first time this evening. Very articulate. Charlie Weis of Notre Dame has stopped by to visit. Says UCLA’s Norm Chow was there today. Chow’s friend, UH linebackers coach Cal Lee, also saw him at first day of spring practice.
“My coach (Kale Ane) told me today he got a letter from UH offering me a scholarship,” Te’o said “So now I can say, ‘I have been offered by Hawaii.’”
Tom Lemming said Te’o is a preseason All-American and one of the top 20 prospects in the country.
Te’o says his plan at this point is to wait to make his announcement on where he will go on signing day.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Good Evening
Hawaii High school football needs players like Te’o, a Titan among his peers, receiving all this deservingly national attention to inspire others to become motivated.And better. And in their right, other players will have added incentives to try and beat Punahou and Te’o if given the chance.For they themselves want to see how they match up against one the most highly touted player in the nation from Hawaii.
With summer workouts soon starting for the high schoolers. And so much media coverage and a saturation of interest, seemingly,
more so, this year than others, the kids from the lesser known schools should look at how they themselves can try ending up on the big stage. Or aspire on being the big dog. Looking at Youtube, or the internet, for examples, the lesser knowns should think they have a chance, too,if they reflect on wanting and beating the best.And they themselves might see their names soon becoming known.
Credit Te’o for bringing all this attention. And his coaches and support group. But if your a competing playing you should be excited and exceed to the best of your abilities, too. And if you have the mindset of improving and putting in a 100% effort, following instruction etc… And working out extra hard then overall Hawaii football will always improve. And respectfully we have to acknowledge the ones on top. And the players to watch, like Te’o.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:07 am
Would have been nicer if Te`o didn’t become a Pun after showing early signs of Titan status at Kahuku.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:33 am
Hey locomoco,
Please explain to us WHY it would have been NICER if Teo went to Kahuku vs Punahou? Many of us private school parents work second jobs and make countless sacrifices to send our children to private schools and all we hear is how priviledged our kids are. Maybe if those of you driving your nice cars,and going to Vegas all the time sacrificed a bit more your child could be priviledged too !
May 21st, 2008 at 10:59 am
are any of the 2008 recruits coming in this week for first session of summer school next week?
May 21st, 2008 at 11:27 am
all right.. let’s all calm down now lol
we should be proud of ALL our high school kids that are able to get a higher education through sports or other academic programs, no matter WHAT school they went to… I would love to see a player like Teo come to UH, but any student from Hawaii that becomes a success in college brings attention to ALL the schools and students in Hawaii and not just Kahuku or Punahou or St. Louis etc.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Hey Dave,
Is Chad Lopati related to former Rainbow Running Back Junior Lopati?
May 21st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
wait was Junior Lopati a Running Back or Slotback????
May 21st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Hey Fried rice,
Majority of us “public school” parents primary jobs pay WAY less than your secondary job. We would have to work three or four jobs to make it. And for riding around in nice cars and making sacrifices. Our idea of nice cars is maybe a used car with no rust and with a working AC. What is your sacrifice? golfing 2xs a week as opposed to 4xs. Spending time with your children, not spending money on your children goes further than anything else!
COME ON AND WAKE UP!!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 2:28 pm
St.Louis has some other good players and the coach does NOTHING to help them like other coaches. he is worthless!
TENGON is not qualified to be head coach!
May 21st, 2008 at 2:29 pm
How can Charlie Weiss stop by for a visit? Head coaches are prohibited from seeing prospects this spring - so-called Saban rule beccause he abused it so much)
May 21st, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Both. Junior Lopati started as a running back as a freshman. After his knee injury and many setbacks, he finally returned to the field as a slotback in the Paul Johnson spread option offense.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Manti Te`o and Kale Ane will be on Leahey and Leahey tonight at 7:30p.m.
May 21st, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Good question and truly great memories of Jr. back in the 80’s. Still remember the hit to his knee as he headed into the end zone. Was never the same great player after rehab:-(.
May 21st, 2008 at 3:43 pm
KOA fan - do not make rash generalizations about private school parents. i went to private school and know my parents had to work around the clock. i never saw my dad at dinner. he wasn’t golfing twice a week. he was working the equivalent of 3-4 jobs so we could go. so don’t you dare suggest that neither private school kids nor their parents know about sacrifice.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Oh,Oh!
Looks like someone broke the rules!
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:58 am
Koa Fan you are dead wrong! Personally I’ve played golf 2 times in twenty years and I suspect the majority of private school parents spend countless hours with their children and not on golf courses. I’d say most of us spend plenty of time and what money we have on our children’s future by supporting their educational needs. By the way I drive a 1995 Camry with 125K miles and an oil leak. I’m saving money to get it fixed.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:00 am
I also remember that heinous hit that essentially destroyed a potential career
in the NFL. I don’t trust my memory as much as I did previously, but it seemed to me that the hit was in the end-zone AFTER Lopati had crossed the goal line & scored the touchdown. It was dirty & a late hit right on the knee.
I’m asking all trivia experts out there: Who was the jerk that did it?? I keep thinking it was Tory Nixon, but I’m not sure at all about that.
On a more positive note, I had the privilege of having a class (at UH)with Junior Lopati & found him to be a very likeable, humble & down-to-earth guy & it makes me that much more pissed off that a cheap shot cost him a potential career. I truly hope that he’s in another satisfying career at this time.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:27 am
I know that a number of you may disagree with me when I say that those athletes that attend Punahou & Iolani will have very little chance of playing for UH as it seems that they are ingrained with the mentality that USC, Stanford, Michigan, Notre Dame, etc. are just superior period & that to attend UH would be settling for an inferior program with less visibility & less academic as well as less athletic respect/credibility . I just want to know if it’s the coaches or instructors who are generating and promoting that philosophy.
For those that keep track, can you tell me if we’ve had recruits in the last 10 years or so from those 2 high schools??
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Guardian…yes we have. Most recently, Jeremiah Ostrowski and Kiran Kepoo. UH doesn’t get a lot of them, but it’s a fallacy to think that don’t get any of them.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I coached at two private schools and I went to both public and private high schools and have family at both.
There is zero difference between what coaches tell their athletes about playing at UH vs. other schools at private vs. public schools. All the coaches I have experienced first make sure the players know that they have options, but need to work to get anywhere. They encourage players to consider all their options and offer to help, but– and here is the critical point– they try not to steer the kid in any particular direction unless they are asked to help. They try to be balanced– you give the pros and cons and you direct them to others to provide more inside information especially if you did not go to a school they are interested in. You refer them to alumni on campus, and you stress that football is not the only thing.
Even on football, you are careful to point out where they may or may not fit what a team needs, reminding them that a college coach may see things very differently and they need to ask questions.
There is a very good reason for this– you as a coach do not want to have a kid coming to see you one day very unhappy because you steered him to the “wrong school”.
I see players getting the pros and cons of staying home all the time. Mot players give Hawaii some honest consideration even if they end up going away.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Manti’s worked hard all his life to be where he’s at today. I watched him develop throughout his life. These opportunities did not come free. He deserves every bit of recognition that he gets because of how hard he’s worked. Yet others that think they’ve worked hard seem to feel they should receive the same treatment. I argue that either you have it or you don’t and some are born with it. Has nothing to do with what high school he attended. Either road he decided to take would culminate to where he is today! He’s that good! I agree, this attention can only help Hawaii High School Football
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Aloha Guardian!
I was actually on the field back in the day working for UH the game Junior Lopati was hurt. To me, the hit was clean. Junior was focused on crossing the goal line and the DB was coming up to chop him. The instant Lopati’s leg crossed the goal he got hit. If he had jumped or lowered his shoulder to take on the defender, he would have been fine. Lopati was a great, great talent and just beginning to shine. To me, he came back too soon and he kept re-injuring the knee. He went on to several more operations and was never the same again.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:59 pm
guardian,
from the 90’s to now, Iolani has sent to UH Matt Wright, Matt Tufono, Rod York (possible walk-on), Tad Yamashita (possible walk-on), Kiran Kepo’o, Uriah Moenoa and Lucas Kennard.
Punahou has sent UH Dane and Drew Uperesa, Miah Ostrowski, Clint Kuboyama (via BC), Tafiti Uso (via Stanford), Kekoa Kilcoyne (via JC), Nainoa Kuna and Kenny Patton. To be fair, Kuna and Patton graduated from mainland HS.
How can you say that there is very little chance of Iolani or Punahou athletes playing for UH if you haven’t been keeping track???
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Uriah Moenoa (Iolani) and Dane Uperesa (Punahou) were highly recruited players that also chose Hawaii.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:44 am
Hey coltfan,
“Rash generalizations”
What “fried rice” said “Maybe if those of you driving nice cars,and going to Vegas all the time sacrifice a bit…..” I believe that would come under “rash generalizations”. So don’t you DARE suggest that this “fried rice” person is not making a “rash generalization” either. I don’t see you repling to his/her comment.
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:32 am
Former Punahou/Iolani players who played at UH:
Dane Uperesa, Afatia Thompson, Tafiti Uso (transfer from Stanford), Matt Wright.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Actually, I know the Te’o family personally. Although Kahuku has become a titan in football it was probably a toss up to stay and play for Kahuku. However, I strongly support the decision made to play for Punahou. Don’t get me wrong. Kahuku isn’t the bottom of academics for a public school, but having an opportunity like Punahou is even better. I would send my Son there too. I too have friends who make sacrifice to send their kids to private school and admire that. The point is clear, do what is best for your child and go from there.