Tuiasosopo Niusulu East-West All Star Game Participant

Some news from the family of Tuiasosopo Niusulu who recently participated in the East-West All Star game at Everett Memorial Stadium on June 27, 2009.

Niusulu who will attend Idaho State this fall on a football scholarship played on the East side that won 13-12. Other incoming Polynesians at the Pocatello campus include Laijia Lesu (Monterrey JC, CA), Talai Livai (Bingham HS, South Jordan, UT), Travis Nua (Arizona Western JC), Jake Pele (Riverside HS, Auburn, WA), and Justin Vaeena (Oceanside HS, CA).

Kona Schwenke is headed to BYU

Kona Schwenke, a defensive end from (Kahuku High School (Kahuku, Hawaii), has committed to head coach Bronco Mendenhall and the BYU Cougars.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Schwenke has also received scholarship offers from Colorado, Oregon State, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah, Wyoming, Hawaii and Washington.

ESPN's Craig Haubert said of the news, "This weekend BYU continued to add to their big and fairly strong 2010 class with a commitment from one of the Hawaii's top prospects in Kona Schwenke."

"We had a chance to see Schwenke workout in person recently and he is a kid with nice upside. He has a tall and lean frame and will need to add bulk once he gets into BYU's weight program and he needs to also improve his strength. On film he gives flashes of playing the run well, but will need to work on that phase of his game at the college level. He is a little further along as a pass rusher and has some of the raw tools to be help rush the passer early on."

"Schwenke is a nice pick-up for BYU and if they can red-shirt him and give him a little time to keep developing physically and as a player he could be a real nice fit down the road for the Cougars."

Dolphins' Paul Soliai can't survive on just potential

By Omar Kelly South Florida Sun-Sentinel

July 10, 2009

Paul Soliai is the last Polynesian standing.

When the native Samoan joined the Dolphins in 2007, the roster was filled with Polynesians. Five spent that season on the roster.

Two years later, everyone is gone but Soliai. And if the former fourth-round pick doesn't get a handle on his weight battles, he might be the next one shown the door.

While the defensive lineman has been decent in spurts, showing flashes of productivity in a few games, his performances and work habits are too inconsistent, coaches say.

Entering his third season, Soliai, who was suspended twice in 2008 for violating team rules, realizes his size and draft status can take him only so far, and that it's time for his work ethic to start carrying him now.

"My rookie year I wasn't productive in what I was doing. I wasn't ready. Last year I was, but there's still another level to take it to, and that's my goal," said Soliai, who has seven tackles and a forced fumble in the 23 games.

"I'm more experienced with the nose [tackle spot] now. I played three technique in college, and I know a lot more than I did in my rookie year. Now it's about putting all that I know and all that I learned on the field with some technique."

Soliai said his focus in 2009 is to "practice like I'm playing in the game."

If he does that, coach Tony Sparano will be pleased because the Dolphins believe the former Utah standout possesses plenty of potential considering the offensive linemen label him the team's most difficult defender to move.

"He's very unique because I've never had a guy that big, that strong and that athletic. Some of the things you watch, it's like 'how did he do that,'" defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said. "He's just got to keep coming. He's got to really decide what he wants to be as a football player."

This training camp Soliai has stiffer competition for his spot as Jason Ferguson's backup. Former Gator Joe Cohen, who spent a couple of months on the practice squad, is getting an extended look in camp. And the Dolphins signed Louis Ellis as a rookie free agent.

Tony McDaniel, who was acquired from Jacksonville for a seventh-round pick this offseason, also split his practice time between defensive end and nose tackle during the recent minicamp.

That means if the Dolphins don't like what they see from Soliai heading into training camp, or during it, it will be easier to move on. However, those who watched Soliai flash plenty of upside during the team's offseason work realize there's still hope.

"Paul is a big dude, but don't get it mistaken now, he can move with it," Ferguson said.

Sparano has given Soliai, who is hovering around 350 pounds, an undisclosed weight he needs to be at for training camp. Last week, Soliai said his focus over the next six weeks will be getting there.

"It's not hard," he said. "It's just about being committed to it, committed to watching my weight."

Sparano said he'll be watching how serious Soliai is to being a "professional," which Sparano hinted is at the heart of the problem.

"I've just got to stay on this guy because I'm telling you, I think he's got a lot of untapped potential," Rodgers said. "He's great in the meeting room. He's great around us. We've just got to get to him. We've got to see how good can this guy be."

Catching up with future Coug, Ross Apo

By Seth Stoker
- Thu, 07/09/2009 - 21:19

While Ross Apo, a BYU wide receiver commit for the 2010 season, has all of the physical tools to make an impact on the field, his confidence may be what sets him apart.

At 6-foot-4, 202 pounds, Apo describes himself as a big guy who can play any receiver position the team needs him to. With a skill set like Apo’s, this kind of confidence may be warranted.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine recently rated the all-district receiver the best wide receiver recruit in the state of Texas.

Apo says he is good enough to contribute right away, and maybe even start.

“I don’t expect to, but I hope so,” Apo said. “I definitely have the size and speed to contribute right away.”

Apo is the type of athlete consistent with the rest of this recruiting class that has BYU fans drooling. His most recent time in the 40-yard dash is 4.41 seconds, and he has a 39-inch vertical jump.

Apo’s skills are not limited to football. He was the leading scorer on his basketball team.

Because of his size, the basketball coaches played him at center. Although he thinks he could play basketball in college, this year Apo says he needs to focus on football.

“The plan is to graduate early so I can enroll at BYU in January,” Apo said. He said he is hoping to learn the plays and give himself the best chance to see the field right away.

Apo originally committed to Texas in late spring, but later de-committed in order to join Jake Heaps and Co. at BYU. Apo said Texas was the comfortable choice.

“I knew a lot of the kids that committed (to Texas). I’ve visited (Texas) probably more than BYU,” Apo said. “My parents were very comfortable as well.”

Apo’s biggest reservation in de-committing from Texas was telling his father.

“In the back of my mind, I always wanted to go to BYU. It was hard for me to tell my dad,” Apo said. “My dad liked Texas a lot. It’s a bigger school.”

After Apo changed his mind, his father warmed up to the idea of him playing at BYU.
“Now that he’s been to BYU, he knows what it’s all about,” Apo said.

Apo said his father has even requested some BYU apparel when Ross gets to school in January.

Continue

Rivers always ran through it

By Kalani Simpson
Special to the Star-Bulletin

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jul 08, 2009

Jason Rivers was not in any way "athletic" in the modern stereotypical use of the word. Oh, he could run, and he could jump, and catch passes, and had great hand-eye coordination and a good 40 time. He was, no doubt, a great athlete (he was a state sprint champion and an outstanding basketball player at Saint Louis School).

But in his role as one of the best pass catchers Hawaii has ever produced he was never a "great athlete." He wasn't smooth like Davone Bess was. He wasn't a Corvette in cleats like Ryan Grice-Mullins was. He wasn't otherworldly like Ashley Lelie was. He wasn't explosive like Chad Owens was.

No, Rivers was explosive like an actual explosion. There was damage; things broke; bodies scattered; psyches were scarred. He was explosive in the literal sense. He exploded out there, on the football field.

And that was the most beautiful thing about his game. Jason Rivers caught the ball because he wanted it like a dog going after a piece of meat. He didn't run by people; he ran through them. In everything he did, he attacked.

"Jason," Colt Brennan would say once, after another incredible performance, "is the most aggressive receiver I've ever been around."

No. He wasn't as pretty as the rest of them. There was nothing graceful about him. Nothing glamorous. Even his number -- no single digit for him. No, he did something most "star" receivers don't -- he wore a number in the 80s. It was workmanlike, and humble, and it just seemed to fit.

It seemed he was always being overlooked. Every year, the Hawaii coaches had another guy Rivers had to fight off to win the job yet again. He was no one's favorite player.

And so he became one of my favorite players.

It was something awesome to watch.

He played receiver in a different way. Violently. Ferociously. Hungrily.

Angrily.

He played the way Pancho Gonzales played tennis. The way Bob Gibson pitched.

He would make plays and howl into the night. He would knock people over. He would block. He would fight you. He would fight you with everything he had, and for everything you had. He would take it from you.

This is what made him great.

And he was fiercest in the biggest moments, or, as June Jones put it once, "When the stage gets big, he gets big."

Who caught the pass that put Tim Chang over the NCAA all-time passing-yards record? Rivers did (and it was for a touchdown, of course). Who put the exclamation point on one of the greatest games Colt Brennan ever played, that delirious comeback win in the Hawaii Bowl over Arizona State? Rivers, running away, pulling away from everyone, running into the night. Brennan, celebrating with the linemen, running after him, his finger in the air.

I can see it now. Rivers just running, not smoothly, but fiercely, breaking away.

Rivers is the greatest player in the history of the Hawaii Bowl, bar none. They should put his name on the trophy they give to the MVP. He went to another level in bowl games.

"No one was talking about him," Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter would say, after Rivers torched his team for 308 yards.

No, no one ever did. He wasn't as smooth as the other receivers and his path wasn't as smooth, either. It seemed he was always on the brink of being counted out -- which is a ridiculous thing to say about a school's career receiving-yards leader, but UH coaches always had his replacement ready at hand. It's true, Rivers would miss the 2005 season with a mix of injury, academic and personal concerns. But again he fought back, returning without a scholarship, always playing most ferociously in the biggest games. His "redshirt" would mean he would be back to catch 92 passes in 2007 (14 each in nail biters at Louisiana Tech and vs. Washington).

Others were great athletes. All Jason Rivers did was play like a man possessed. (In fact, maybe that was the only way to stop him. Get a priest.)

He was one of my favorite players. He was playing football, not playing catch.

Fittingly, his career ended in a bowl game and in a rage. He had 10 catches for 105 yards against Georgia in the 2008 Sugar Bowl, and long after the game was decided, Rivers was still raging against the dying of the light. He'd been knocked out cold in the first half, but got up off the canvas, got back in the game. Still fighting, still leading. Still raging.

"They'd have to break my arm, break my leg," he told Dave Reardon then. Nothing could make him stop.

That was who he was. That was what made him great.

He was never explosive in the athletic sense. He was explosive like an actual explosion. Rivers played with a fire that consumed him. And it tended to consume his opponents, too.

UH adds defensive end

By Stephen Tsai
HawaiiWarriorBeat.com Editor

Moanalua High's Ipulasi Eselu plays rush end, but his college choice was not made in haste.

"I thought about it, and I'm going to be a Warrior," said Eselu, who accepted a scholarship offer from the Hawai'i football team. "My family is here. They can come and support me."

Eselu is the 12th member of UH's 2010 recruiting class.

Eselu said he is 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds.

Moanalua head coach Arnold Martinez said Eselu was used as a stand-up end, essentially an outside linebacker, but projects to play defensive end in college.

"We needed a strong outside backer, and he was the first candidate," Martinez said. "He was easy to coach there. And I think it helped his footwork. He was able to cover (pass) routes."

His older brother, Savaii Eselu, is a tight end for California.

"I think he's going to grow," Martinez said of Ipulasi Eselu. "His brother is 6-5, and his dad is huge."

Martinez also praised Eselu's workmanlike attitude.

"He doesn't take a play off," Martinez said. "For me, it's a blessing to coach him. His dad and his family did a great job with him. That starts in the home."

Eselu said he was raised as a Warrior fan. He also looked up to former UH quarterback Tim Chang and slotback/returner Chad Owens.

"They were inspirations," Eselu said. "They did very well for the state. They made us look real good."

Eselu said he has not decided which field to pursue in college.

Martinez praised Eselu as "an awesome kid. He tries very hard to do well academically. He's not a guy you have to babysit. When he's not studying or in class, he's with us. He's going to listen, and he's going to work hard.

"He has a very high football IQ," Martinez added. "He picks up the theory of whatever we're trying to accomplish. It's almost like having another coach on the field."

Eselu is the second Moanalua player to commit, following offensive lineman Frank Loyd.

"They're both very good players," Martinez said.

Earlier, UH received commitments from quarterback Kevin Spain of Paradise Valley High (Ariz.), slotbacks Samson Anguay of Campbell High and Corey Lau of Kailua High; wideout Christian "Bubba" Poueu-Luna of Great Oaks High (Calif.); offensive linemen David Lefotu of Pearl City High and London Sapolu of Orange Coast College; defensive linemen Calen Friel of Kailua, Viliami "Pep" Fonokalafi of Kaimuki High and Charles Tuaau of Leilehua High, and linebacker Dominic Sierra of La Habra High.

Adam Ah Ching (Greer, SC)

More and more young players are earning scholarship offers. Two weeks ago, news surfaced that Tennessee had received a commitment from Evan Berry, the younger brother of Tennessee safety Eric Berry, even though he is just 13 years old. That was followed this week by BYU offering a scholarship to Greer (S.C.) 2012 linebacker Adam Ah Ching.

Ah Ching, who is just 15, earned his offer after impressing at the All-Poly Camp in Bountiful, Utah. Word is that other schools like USF, UCLA and possibly South Carolina might not be too far off from offering either. Ah Ching was named his team's freshman impact player of year in 2008 and also qualified for state wrestling as a freshman after never participating in the sport before.

What impressed coaches the most at the All-Poly Camp was Ah Ching's athletic ability. He's 6-0 and 205 pounds, and he has been clocked at 4.65 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has a 300-pound bench-press max and a 500-pound squat max.

"It's a big honor to be recognized this early," Ah Ching said. "It's something I'm going to use as a motivator. I don't want to get a big head and let it be my focus. My focus is still on being the best player I can. I'm real aggressive, and I love to hit. I'm a true middle linebacker."

UH signs Sapolu's son

By Stephen Tsai
HawaiiWarriorBeat.com Editor

London Sapolu, the son of one of the greatest University of Hawai'i football players, has accepted a scholarship from the Warriors.

Sapolu will play his sophomore season at Orange Coast Community College, then transfer to UH in January. He will have two seasons of NCAA eligibility.

Sapolu, who is 6 feet 1 and 295 pounds, played defensive tackle last season. He will start at center this season.

Sapolu turned down an offer from Tennessee, opting to follow in the cleats of his father, Jesse Sapolu.

"I had other options, but after sitting down with my family and my dad — and being half Samoan and half Hawaiian — everybody thought I would be more comfortable in Hawai'i," London Sapolu said.

Jesse Sapolu said: "I'm happy he's going to become a Warrior. I think Hawai'i will be a more comfortable atmosphere for him. I always wanted at least one of my sons to go to my alma mater. I'm happy they're representing the name."

London Sapolu said he did not realize that his father was a football legend "until after he retired from football."

Jesse Sapolu won four Super Bowl championships with the San Francisco 49ers.

London Sapolu said he was "4 or 5" when his father won his last Super Bowl ring.

"They still tell me a story about how they wanted to take me to a Super Bowl, but I told them I'd rather stay in the hotel and watch the Power Rangers," London said, laughing.

Jesse Sapolu said his son "is going to surprise a lot of people. In my opinion, he's a pretty good player."

London Sapolu plays guitar and 'ukulele. He also designs and administers tattoos. He owns his own tattoo machine. But like a skinny chef, he said, "My dad doesn't want me to have any (tattoos)."

He received his unique name from a city where his father played two NFL exhibition games. Because two elder siblings have names beginning with "L," he said, "My mom said, 'it's either London or Larry.' "

Now, it's his hope, he will both carry on and make a name at UH.

Pisa keeps proving himself

By Cindy Luis

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jul 07, 2009

It can be such an unforgiving game, football.

Every play, every day, there is something to prove. It's not just about being better than the next guy, it's about being the best.

Always.

It's the essence of the sport.

It's the essence of Pisa Tinoisamoa.

It wasn't a blind-side hit when the St. Louis Rams released him May 8. Although Tinoisamoa led the team in tackles for four of his six seasons, the money he was scheduled to make -- $3.25 million base, $4.25 million against the cap -- didn't make business sense to the front office.

Yet again, the 27-year-old Tinoisamoa knew he would have something to prove if he wanted to keep playing the sport he loved. It's happened so often, the former Hawaii linebacker doesn't know any different.

He was 8 when called to his dying uncle's bedside. Cancer-stricken Sal Aunese had been the star quarterback at Colorado, the pride of the Oceanside, Calif., Samoan community, and the father figure for Pisa and his two brothers after the boys' father returned to his native American Samoa.

It was the same year that Tinoisamoa began playing football.

"All my sons have been gifted athletically but you could see in Pisa, from the age of 8, there was the flash of what he is living today," his mother, Ruta Aunese-Tinoisamoa, said. "He was influenced by his uncle Sal, Joe Paopao, Junior Seau. ... He wanted to be like them.

"The plan was to play for Colorado, follow in his uncle's footsteps. It was not meant to be."

Proving himself on the football field wasn't the problem, as he earned all-league and all-state honors three seasons, and was an All-American as a senior for the Vista (Calif.) High Panthers.

No, he'd have to prove that he was more the charismatic Pisa, the one voted to the homecoming court as a senior, than the Pisa put on probation for spray-painting graffiti on public property. The one jailed after intervening in a fight to help his brother Mike.

Most of the colleges vying for Tinoisamoa couldn't backpedal away fast enough. Colorado, USC, UCLA ... but not Hawaii. Then-Warriors coach June Jones had followed Tinoisamoa's career while with the San Diego Chargers, and had assistant Dennis McKnight attend the sentencing hearing.

"June knew that this kid's heart was pure," McKnight said. "He told me to be at the trial and when the judge asks if anyone has something to say, you tell him you have a scholarship in hand. Tell him that we believe in this young man and that if we can get him out of San Diego, everyone will see what kind of person he is. Let us give him a chance.

"Think it started off hard for Pisa. The one thing he loved more than anything was football and, his first year, he wasn't eligible to play, couldn't do what he does best and he withdrew from everything. When he did come back, I think he thought he would show up and be 'The Guy.' All of a sudden there were a lot of other players just as good competing for his position."

Another proving ground.

"I never doubted my ability, my talent, but I hurt myself when I ballooned to 265," said Tinoisamoa, whose ideal college playing weight was 215. "I wasn't as good as I wanted to be and, working on losing the weight, I was underachieving.

"And there was competition. Chris Brown. Matt Wright. Keani Alapa. I thought I should be right up there. I made it a goal for me to be mentioned in their group. That third year (2002) I knew I had to take it to another level, trim down, get back to explosive."

And prove he could be the player everyone expected. Jones gave him that challenge.

"He wasn't focused, his work ethic wasn't there," said Jones, now the coach at SMU. "I told him before his last season that this was it -- 'If you don't get focused after we've given you this chance, I'm done with you.'

"He took it and took it to another level, played as well as anybody in the country that year."

In 2002, Tinoisamoa was named first-team All-Western Athletic Conference and the MVP of the Warrior team that finished 10-4, 7-1 WAC. He opted for the NFL rather than return for one last season.

"I would have liked him to stay, but once I knew he was going to be a second- or third-round draft pick ... it's hard to tell a kid to pass up the money," Jones said. "If he stays and gets hurt, then you'll always second-guess yourself. I could never look him in the face if that had happened."

Tinoisamoa was drafted in the second round by the St. Louis Rams (43rd overall) and signed a four-year, $2.9 million contract. In 2006, he signed a five-year extension for $24.7 million, but he was released eight weeks ago with three years remaining.

Agent CJ LaBoy didn't need much time to find his client a new home. On May 29, Tinoisamoa agreed to a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears, re-joining Lovie Smith, his defensive coordinator in St. Louis.

When organized team activities ended last month, Smith, the new Bears head coach, announced Tinoisamoa would be the starting strongside linebacker heading into camp.

"It's a good fit for Pisa, being back with Lovie," McKnight said, and then, laughing: "But come November and December, with that weather, we'll see how tough he is.

"As far as a naturally gifted athlete, he fell out of the womb that way. He could have won a (Olympic) decathlon gold. What stands out to me, though, was that big, dynamic smile of his that lights up the room. That, and his passion for football. He plays the game for all the right reasons."

Still, it can be such an unforgiving game, football. Every play, every day, there is something to prove.

"You get released, your ego does take a blow," Tinoisamoa said. "This was a little different because I felt I held up my end of the bargain, did what they wanted, and they still let me go.

"But it's life. I've been through the adversity before, been told I couldn't play, been told I was too small. I've been abandoned, locked up, hurt. Faith is what carries me. Prayer allows me to fight another day."

Tinoisamoa and high school sweetheart Shannon have been together since they were 16, and celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary last Thursday. Shannon is expecting their fourth child in November; the family also includes sons Kaleb, 6, and Ryder, 2, and daughter Mylie, 3.

Tinoisamoa said he will always owe the Hawaii football program for the loyalty shown through his troubled youth and the Warrior teammates and fans for their support.

"For me to be on the all-century team for UH, to be considered one of the 100 elite, is such an honor," he said. "When I got there, I had to prove to people who I really was. I think I did that. I hope I did."

Utupo picks ND

Monday, July 6, 2009

Posted by Greg Biggins

Lakewood (Calif.) defensive lineman Justin Utupo has ended the recruiting process and is headed to South Bend.

I just committed to Notre Dame," Utupo said. "I've never been there before I've always wanted to go to Notre Dame. That has kind of been my dream school so once they offered, it was really only a matter of time.

"When I was younger, I watched that move Rudy and ever since then, I wanted to go there, even if I couldn't play football there, I just wanted to go to school there. Now to have this opportunity to go and be a part of the program, I'm just really excited about all this."

Utupo said he got the offer from the Irish about two months ago and has been doing research on the school with his parents ever since.

"My dad was especially in to Notre Dame," Utupo said. "He liked them a lot and the more research we did, the better it looked. I know it might be cold but it will be worth it to be at the school and get a great education. I knew they picked up a couple of other defensive ends as well so I didn't want to risk losing my spot there so I thought now was the best time to commit.

"UCLA was right there too and I also liked Washington, Oregon State and Nebraska. Those were the main schools I looked at but Notre Dame just had too many pluses. I called up Coach Polian this morning to commit and he was really excited and that made me feel good. I won't be taking any other visits except to Notre Dame, my commitment is strong and this is a great day for me."

Tuipulotu's coming home

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kaniela Tuipulotu, a former all-state defensive tackle from Kahuku High School, has received a release from Arizona and will transfer to the University of Hawai'i.

Tuipulotu, who is 6-feet-3 and 300 pounds, must sit out the 2009 season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. After that, he will have two seasons of football eligibility with the Warriors.

"He was a stud defensive lineman for us," said Reggie Torres, Kahuku's head football coach. "He started for Arizona. He liked the program but he missed home."

Tuipulotu's sister, who lives on the Mainland and is moving back to Hawai'i, spurred his decision to change schools

Destined to make a difference

Onosai is the rare great football player who has gone on to even greater things off the field

By Paul Honda

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jul 05, 2009

He's been hooked since the day he tried it.

Joe Onosai -- high school coach and former University of Hawaii football great -- admits it freely. He's on Facebook, seemingly 24/7.

"It's addicting," says Onosai, a magnet on the popular social networking Web site. In just a few short months, the former lineman has attracted more than 1,500 followers. Pretty good for a guy who grew up without a computer in Kuhio Park Terrace.

Onosai's daily message via Facebook is no surprise to friends and fellow worshippers at Word of Life Christian Center, where he's been a pastor since 1997.

In some ways, his ascension to ministry was destined. At birth, his grandfather, Lafaele Onosai, a minister, just knew. With no ministers among his children, Lafaele had a vision of sorts.

"When he held me for the first time, he said, 'This young man is going to carry on my ministry.' That's what my mom told me before we left," Onosai says.

They left Se'etaga, American Samoa, because Onosai had health problems. His parents worried about their baby's respiratory issues and more.

"My mom said I was retarded," Onosai says with a grin.

The family got on a military flight to Hawaii, where Onosai was treated at Tripler Army Medical Hospital. They've been in Hawaii ever since.

As he grew up, there were no more questions about his mental capacity. Coaches like George Chang and Lance Carrera saw a future leader.

"He was always bigger than the other kids his own age," says Chang, who was in his mid-20s when he first saw Onosai in the mid-1970s. "He was naturally a good athlete for his age. He could do everything well, was a very nice kid. Kind of a natural leader."

At University Lab School, Onosai continued to blossom. He helped Pac-Five emerge as Interscholastic League of Honolulu and Prep Bowl champion in 1982.

What he remembers most about playing for Don Botelho, however, was off the field.

"Coach Bo was always very old school. The year we won the Prep Bowl, the bus ride home from the stadium, you wouldn't be able to tell whether we won a game or not," Onosai says. "All he wanted was for you to be humble, whether you won or lost. We weren't allowed to talk or cheer. It was who he was and who he is. We followed suit and understood Coach Bo, that we didn't want to overcelebrate.

"One of the greatest values I learned from him is, 'I've been on the other side for many years, where we always lost. I always told myself, if I ever win, I'll never make the other team feel bad.' That sticks with me to this day."

Through high school, Onosai's health improved, but he never had it easy. Bronchitis and asthma followed him, even as he grew to be a man among boys. Asthma attacks in high school scared just about everyone.

"All my Pac-Five teammates, they remember. They called the ambulance," says Onosai, who was a bruising 240-pound fullback.

When life teeters on the brink at such a young age, a teenager can only wonder why. Onosai counted his blessings and kept pushing on. He accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Hawaii, where he moved from fullback to the offensive line and developed into a player with NFL potential.

Onosai quickly became a star lineman as a Rainbow, part of the resurgence under coach Dick Tomey.

"COACH TOMEY is probably the greatest motivator who I've ever met in my life," he says. "Not only was he eloquent and articulate, he was very emotional. He knew how to get you up for a game. He also knew how to put the fear of God in you.

"If he wasn't pleased with you, he'd let you know, whether you were a player or coach."

Tomey remembers someone who needed little prodding.

"Joe was a man among boys, a very physical guy, a tough guy, but a very solid individual," Tomey said. "He became a great leader, an outstanding performer and he was a great worker. He did it all."

O-line coaches Ed Riewerts and Mike Hill did much of the molding at UH. Between daily battles with defensive star Al Noga and constant motivation from the staff -- Tomey once called Onosai "a big sissy," which seems absolutely comical now -- he turned into a sixth-round draft choice by the Dallas Cowboys, his favorite team.

By preseason camp, his dreams about pro football were snuffed out. An injury during practice led to an exam, where doctors found a narrowing of his spinal cord, a birth defect that made the risk of paralysis far too great.

"I hit the guy and bruised the cord severely. Thankfully, that didn't sever the cord," he said.

It took four days for the strength in his legs to return fully. It took two years of rehab work to get his upper-body strength back to normal. What hurt most, though, wasn't the end of his career.

"I felt like my whole world came crashing down. My whole motivation was to buy a house for my mom (Evotia) and dad (Falaniko)," Onosai said. "They would always assure me, the main thing is you're alive, able to function normally, but in my heart, it was a major disappointment."

It was before his senior season at UH when Onosai tapped into a higher power.

"I gave my life to the Lord. I think because of that, I feel like I got the strength to bear all the things I went through," he said.

Onosai married his high-school sweetheart, Ann, in 1986. They have three children, including UH track and field athlete Careena.

ONOSAI FUNNELED his frustration and energy into the World's Strongest Man competitions for many years. At 6-feet-4 and 375 pounds, he had a 65-inch chest and 22-inch biceps. There was no other Strongman who could power lift better.

His current players -- most were still in preschool when Onosai was on the circuit -- have seen the YouTube clips of their head coach. But they see more than a hulking Superman.

"He cares a lot about our families and our school, kind of like Coach Carter," says lineman Judah Parker, referencing the movie. "He's been at that peak, so I really take to heart what he says."

Onosai also led the "Men of War," an evangelizing group of ex-convicts and ex-drug dealers, former gang leaders and police officers. They brought an anti-drug message to high schools through a strongman theme -- busting bricks, bending steel bars, lifting huge logs and more.

After coaching Pac-Five following Botelho's retirement in 2003, he spearheaded Word of Life's program. Last year, the Firebrands won two games in their first crack at the varsity level. The list of former Firebrands now playing college football or volleyball is expanding, and Onosai hasn't forgotten his roots. Eight Word of Life graduates came from his stomping ground, Kuhio Park Terrace.

"Kids definitely need discipline. Some of them grew up in homes where they're not taught core values," he says. "What you become is more important than what you achieve. You're able to see the kids' confidence levels increase. The light turns on."

Facebook helps Onosai keep in touch despite a busy schedule.

"I love to bring hope to people," he says.

Real results matter. Through offseason training, Word of Life's athletes get stronger and faster. Onosai is right there in the gym with his coaches and players every day, overseeing their players. He isn't as big on protein supplements as he is on a basic balanced diet. He isn't as gung-ho about overnight success as he is about steady, realistic progress, both for Word of Life and Polynesian families.

"I know our people have come a long way, but some of us still struggle with assimilation. The alcoholism. The violence," he says.

In addition to a Samoan mayor, Mufi Hannemann, there are two Samoan judges and several doctors now, he points out.

"There's been progress, but we're still struggling. There's a breakdown of the traditional Samoan family. Where before -- every Samoan kid knows this -- you're home by 6 o'clock and you're praying. You can hear a family singing hymns, worshipping and praying. When I was growing up, it was a sacred time to get home when that sun went down or you'd get cracks."

Today, sparing the rod is more common in administering discipline, but the point is still valid and true. Children need attention from their parents, and Pastor Joe gently reminds them.

"He's a great example," Tomey says, "of what a local boy can do when he stays home and makes a difference."

Chang, the former KPT parks and recreation director, is close to retirement now.

"Even as a kid, he took everything into consideration and listened," he says of Onosai. "I'm proudest of the kids who became good citizens."

Honolulu Advertiser Brian Cabral Intervew