UH's Rolovich selected for national honors
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Yesterday, Nick Rolovich woke up to a dream.
Advertiser library photo • Oct. 6, 2001
Rolovich, a senior quarterback for the University of Hawai'i football team, learned he was named the national player of the week by two publications and the Western Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Week.
Hawai'i quarterback Nick Rolovich passed for 500 yards and a UH-record seven touchdowns against Miami (Ohio).
USA Today.com and The Sporting News honored Rolovich, who passed for a career-high 500 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns in Saturday's 52-51 victory over Miami (Ohio).
"To tell you the truth, it's been pretty crazy," Rolovich said. "I've been getting a lot of calls. I'm grateful to the offensive linemen for giving me time and to the receivers for making some incredible catches. I wish everyone could have watched that game."
Rolovich watched the telecast three times, including two replays Sunday. Other times, "I play it over and over in my mind," he said.
Lori Rolovich said when her son was 2, he used to wear a football helmet when he walked around their home in Novato, Calif.
"I have a picture of him sleeping with a football when he was 4," she said.
Said Rolovich: "It was a dream to play football, it really was. I wanted to be Joe Montana. I'm lucky enough to get my shot, to do what I'm doing."
He considers football to be "a physical chess game."
Rolovich started the first two games last season, his first at UH after transferring from City College of San Francisco. But he struggled with the offense, and ceded the job to Tim Chang.
Rolovich had planned to redshirt this season, but he was pressed into duty when Chang suffered a sprained right wrist against Rice Sept. 29. Rolovich is 6-1 as a starter this season.
UH coach June Jones said Rolovich struggled last year because "he only had three weeks of practice." Jones said his run-and-shoot offense usually takes an entire season to learn.
"I believe a lot of my downfalls were my own fault," Rolovich said. "I didn't do what it takes to succeed in this offense. As a football player, I wasn't as ready as I should have been last year."
Rolovich said he often discusses strategy with his roommate, starting center Brian Smith. When Rolovich was auditioning to be the holder in training camp, Smith would long-snap to Rolovich in their kitchen.
"That was pretty fun," Rolovich said.
Jones said Rolovich has improved greatly. Jones said he is impressed by Rolovich's "toughness. He has a lot of the intangibles that you can't coach. In the second half of the past game (when Rolovich passed for 291 yards and four touchdowns), you can't play much better than that. He's a gamer."
Jones said Rolovich's skills are comparable to those of Jim Kelly, who led the Buffalo Bills to four Super Bowl appearances. Jones was Kelly's coach when both were with the Houston Gamblers of the U.S. Football League.
"Jim struggled with our offense early, but he always won games," Jones said. "He came into his own. Rolo is coming into his own."
