Troy Polamalu graduates from USC

Study time is over for the NFL's reigning defensive player of the year.
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, who was drafted in 2003 after his senior season at USC but hadn't earned his degree, has been awarded a bachelor's in history from the school.

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Courtesy of USC / Paul GoldbergTroy Polamalu, a two-time All-American in college, took part Friday with more than 1,000 graduating master's and undergraduate students.

Polamalu, a two-time All-American for the Trojans, took part with more than 1,000 master's and undergraduate students Friday morning in a commencement ceremony for USC's political science, international relations and history majors.
More than 6,000 people were in attendance for the the Shrine Auditorium event on the school's Los Angeles campus.
The student receiving the loudest cheer, though, was one of the oldest of the bunch: Polamalu, who was drafted 16th overall in 2003 by the Steelers.
"I'm officially a USC graduate!" the six-time Pro Bowler wrote on his website, troy43.com.
Polamalu, 30, returned to school this semester, using the NFL lockout as an opportunity to complete a long-term goal.
"I decided to finish what I started and walked that stage today not only because it was very important to me personally, but because I want to emphasize the importance of education, and that nothing should supersede it," Polamalu said.
Polamalu has been receiving treatment in Los Angeles for a foot injury sustained late last season. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he won't need surgery and should be fully healed in time for the start of training camp, assuming the NFL season starts as scheduled.
"The majority of top picks in the NFL get drafted before they complete their college education," Polamalu said on his website. "I truly love football and it's such an immense blessing and privilege as an athlete to be given the rare opportunity to use those talents at the highest professional level, but it's certainly not a replacement for an education."

Utes, Aggies wooing Pleasant Grove lineman

PLEASANT GROVE — Pleasant Grove High has become a hot spot for college coaches. Hardly a week goes by without a coach from a major college program in the region stopping by to woo Brandon Fanaika to play for his program.

All three of the local D-1 programs (BYU, Utah and Utah State) have made several visits, along with Pac-12 schools and some other programs stopping by to see him. For the 6-foot-3, 305-pound OL/DL senior-to-be, it’s a bit overwhelming and a bit humbling.
“It’s quite an honor to be wanted by so many schools,” he said. “I don’t really know what to think of it yet. I’m grateful that so many schools have shown interest. I just need to sort out which schools will be best for me.”
Fanaika holds six offers, from Utah State, Utah, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State and Stanford. Utah State was the first program to make an offer, offering him a scholarship a year ago.
His older brother, Jason Fanaika, played for Gary Andersen at Utah State in 2010 before leaving for a mission. Jason had great things to say about Utah State’s program and where they’re going and is strongly encouraging him to join him in Logan.
“He loved it there,” Brandon Fanaika said. “He loves Coach Andersen and believes the program is really going to improve with him as the head coach. I’ve met with Coach Andersen a lot, and I really like him. I like how he coaches, and it would obviously be great to play with my older brother again.”
It also works to Utah State’s favor that it was the first to make an offer.
“It was incredible getting that first offer,” he said. “It was really an unforgettable moment for me, knowing that I’d have a chance to play football in college. I love that Utah State was the first to make an offer, and I’m very interested in that program and where they’re going.”
The offers and subsequent attention came like an avalanche soon after Utah State threw its hat into the ring. The next school to make an offer was Stanford.
“I love Stanford, and I’ve already been out there twice, and the atmosphere of the school, it’s incredible,” he said. “I’m a good student, I have a 3.9 grade-point average, and I have a 23 on the ACT, so I’d love to study at a school like Stanford.”
Brandon Fanaika is also impressed with Stanford's football program, which is coming off an Orange Bowl victory from a year ago. Since that time, Stanford's head coach, Jim Harbaugh, has moved on to the NFL, but Fanaika is impressed with the coaching staff left in place none-the-less.
“I love Coach Shaw, who is the head coach there now, and I believe he’ll continue to do a great job, just like Coach Harbaugh did,” he said.
The next school to make an offer was Arizona. As recently as last week, Wildcat assistant coach Robert Anae visited Fanaika's school to recruit him.
“I have a ton of respect for Coach Anae, and I love that he’s down there in Arizona,” he said. “I think that Arizona was one of the most underrated programs there was last year. They’re a program that is improving, and I think they’re going to do some great things here soon.”
After Arizona came Washington, which extended him an offer shortly after last season ended.
“Coach Sarkisian is a great coach and a great man,” Fanaika said. “I really want to go up there and see more of the school. I know that they have a great Polynesian community up there with the team, so I’d love to learn more about them.”
The next school that informed him of an offer was Utah, although there is some discrepancy as to when that offer was proffered.
“They came by after the season and told me that they actually offered me last summer,” Fanaika said. “I guess I didn’t get the message, but I’m very excited that Utah is interested in me. I’ve always been a huge fan of their program and would love the opportunity to play there.”
Because of its proximity, he’s been to Utah many times on unofficial visits to see the team practice and to visit with the coaches.
“I love Coach Sitake,” he said. “I don’t just consider him as a great coach but also as a great friend of my family. I love Coach Whittingham, and he’s done amazing things there since he’s been head coach. Utah is definitely one of my favorite schools right now.”
Lastly came Arizona State with an offer.
“My cousin, Paul Fanaika, who is now in the NFL, played for Arizona State,” he said. “He’s been talking to me a lot about that program, how he loved it and how it would be a great place for me to go. They run a powerful offense that I love. I’d love to play offensive line there.”
Brandon Fanaika is generally regarded as an offensive line prospect, although some schools have expressed interest in having him play defense.
Other offers are soon to follow the already six offers he currently has. Two schools in particular have shown a lot of late interest.
“Both USC and Oregon have told me that they’re close to offering,” he said. “I’m going to visit both schools this summer, and we’ll see if they offer. I’m very interested in both of those programs.”
His other plans this summer include visits to both Utah’s and BYU’s camps. While BYU has yet to offer, it is showing some interest.
“I talk to coaches at BYU a lot, and they’re just telling me to be patient,” he said. “I really like BYU. I’m LDS, and I have plans to serve a mission after my first year, so BYU would be a great place for that. I love the coaches there, and hopefully I’ll have an opportunity to play there. I’m hoping they offer me.”
Overall, Fanaika is trying to stay humble throughout the process, grateful for every bit of attention he’s received so far.
“It’s an honor not just to me, but for my family, my mom and dad,” he said. “It’s a way I have to give back to them for all the hard work they’ve done. I want to make my parents proud with everything I do because I owe it to them. We’ll talk about it as a family when the time comes, and I’ll make the best decision for me to reach my goals.”
According to his head coach, Dale Sampson, Fanaika is worthy of all the attention he’s been receiving so far.
“He’s a three-year starter for us, and he’s as good as any offensive lineman out there in my opinion,” said Sampson. “I don’t want to get his head too big, but he’s definitely worthy of all those offers, and he’d be a success at any of the programs that have offered him, so long as he keeps grounded and working hard.”
Fanaika plans to wait until the completion of his senior year to make his commitment.
“I want to go to a place where I can progress as a football player, a place that will respect my plans to serve a mission, but I also want a place with great academics," he said. “School is important to me, and life is more than just football, obviously. I don’t have any favorite schools right now, but I’ll definitely look harder at each school that offers me and make the best decision."

Kanani Souza retires as Kamehameha athletic director

Kanani Souza, who led Kamehameha to a state football title in 2004 and was the school's athletic director for the past five years, announced his retirement as AD, effective July 31.

A former University of Hawaii football assistant, Souza came to the Kapalama campus as head coach and assistant AD in 1996.

He amassed a record of 87-28-2 and led the Warriors to the 2004 state and Interscholastic League of Honolulu titles, their first of each since the 1970s.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to work with all the student-athletes, faculty and staff of Kamehameha, especially the coaches and athletic department staff. It has been a great experience and I feel very blessed, but for me, it has never been about the victories and championships, but rather all the relationships that I've been able to foster over the years that I will truly remember," Souza, a 1963 Kamehameha alum, said in a press statement.

Souza spent 12 years as an assistant coach at UH. He was also an assistant at the University of Colorado for one season and at his college alma mater, the University of Northern Colorado, for five. He was also an Oregon State graduate assistant for one season.

Portland State University football players find Polynesian home away from home

At Noho's Hawaiian Cafe in Northeast Portland, the super-sized version of the Loco Moco plate features three half-pound hamburger patties drenched in gravy, topped with two eggs and served up with mountains of white rice and macaroni salad. Looking at it, your reaction could well be: "How could anyone ever eat that much food?"

But to Alika Vaiese, the Loco Moco says "home."

Vaiese, 20, is a defensive end on Portland State's football team and one of a small group of Polynesian players on the team that has adopted Noho's and its owner, Noho Marchesi, as a home and a family away from home.

"(Going to Noho's) helps me get back to my roots a little bit," junior Kalua Noa said.

"This is all we do back home -- eat," Vaiese added with a smile.

In addition to helping provide the actual energy that has propelled the players through spring football practices, Marchesi and his restaurant have helped the players off the field as they adjust to mainland life.

Noa's dad connected him with Marchesi when Kalua moved from Hawaii to Portland to play wide receiver for then-coach Jerry Glanville in 2009.

"It has helped out a lot to have somebody out here who is willing to help me whenever I'm in trouble or just need a place to eat or something like Thanksgiving," he said. "(Noho) has always been there."

Having made the transition from island life to the rainy Northwest, Marchesi knows how difficult it can be.

"We've got great kids ... who have really never left the islands in their life coming to a new experience," he said. "We try to make it as easy of a transition as possible so they can experience all the things the mainland has to offer."

Marchesi cherishes his role as "uncle" to the players and uses his influence to preach the value of their education

"You're here about getting that education so you can excel in life," he said. "This is a way to catapult you to another level. I think my job is to be a support base for the kids. A place they can go to if there's a problem."

Marchesi came to Oregon from Hawaii in 1990 and soon after started LocalBoyz Hawaiian Cafe in Corvallis with his brother. In 1994 he opened Noho's on the corner of Southeast 26th Avenue and Clinton Street and has since added restaurants in Medford and most recently on Northeast Fremont.

Marchesi has been a supporter of Portland State athletics for many years but is more involved than ever now with his adopted group of sons. As much as the players all value his friendship and advice, their eyes really light up when he picks them up and takes them to his restaurant.

"Every time we go, we always clean off our plates because we know we're not going to eat like that until we go home again," senior safety Manoa Latu said. "It's always good ... (Noho) spoils us."

View full sizeBrian Feulner, The OregonianFor the Polynesian students on PSU's football team, a plate of poke (raw tuna dressed in a soy sauce mixture) is much more than just food. It's a chance to refuel, connect with one another and get a fix of the island fare they grew up with.

Food quickly disappears

On a recent visit following an afternoon practice, Noa, Latu, Vaiese and teammates Andrew Godinet, a senior from Hawaii, and Bruce Seumanutafa, a junior originally from American Samoa, put on an eating demonstration that would have made even the most hailed competitive eaters take note.

Appetizer plates of tender ginger chicken and delectable pork rolls disappeared almost as soon as they were set down, as did two generous helpings of the shoyu poke, which is raw tuna marinated in soy sauce-based mixture.

Noa, Latu and Godinet each tackled the super-sized "blalah" combination plates weighed down so heavily with teriyaki steak, chicken, ribs, rice and macaroni "mac" salad, that you could see the waitress's hands straining to balance them. Seumanutafa, who is easily the largest of the group at 6-foot-5 and somewhere in the vicinity of 350 pounds, had a smaller plate of yakisoba noodles and a side green salad.

As soon as the plates hit the table, the pre-meal chatter ended. There was no room for talking while eating, said one player.

Less than 15 minutes later everything but a small pile of noodles on Seumanutafa's plate was gone.

Marchesi came over to inspect the damage and to bring out big chunks of frosted coconut cake.

"The house specialty!" he insisted. "You've got to try it."

Despite the obviously full looks on their faces, everyone obliged with little urging.

Afterward, the group admired the mass of empty plates.

"I think it's impossible to leave here hungry," Noa said.

"Now we go home and sleep," Vaiese added.

Not for long, though.

"We'll be hungry again in a couple of hours," Latu said. No one laughed.