West is becoming model running back for Warriors
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Even before he joined the Hawai'i football team, John West had fond memories of Aloha Stadium.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
The Warriors' running back tripled his season scoring output with three touchdowns in UH's 59-34 rout of Nevada last night. He scored his first touchdown on a 6-yard run in the Warriors' 42-point first-quarter onslaught. He also scored on 2-yard runs in the second and third quarters.
Hawai'i's John West eludes Nevada's Logan Carter in the second quarter. West ran for three touchdowns.
He led the pass-oriented Warriors with 59 rushing yards on nine carries. He also had one reception for 28 yards and returned a kickoff 18 yards.
"The O-line really came through," said West, a transfer from Yuba City (Marysville, Calif.) Community College, helping it win the Bay Valley Conference championship. "They blocked really well."
But West showed a liking for the Aloha Stadium turf before joining the Warriors. While playing for Leilehua High in a 1997 preseason game against Pac-Five, West tied a then-O'ahu Interscholastic Association single-game record with five rushing touchdowns. He hopes he can match that feat with the Warriors.
"Given the opportunity and the line keeps doing what they're doing because they're great, hey, I'll pull it off," the 5-foot-10, 180-pound junior said.
Unlike his straight paths to the end zone last night, West's road to Hawai'i made some detours. He was a military dependent while attending Leilehua. After graduating in 1998, West took a year off to do some modeling. Perhaps a future endeavor?
"I really like football, but it's nice to have an alternative," West said.
He laughed when asked what kind of modeling he did and declined to elaborate. He said it wasn't anything embarrassing.
He then went to a JC in St. Louis to earn some credits before moving on to Yuba City. He said Yuba City coaches remembered him from when he took part in a prep combine held here when he was at Leilehua. The two-year hiatus from the game didn't affect his ability to play. He was an all-region selection at Yuba City before accepting a scholarship to play here.
"It actually crossed my mind that I would be playing here one day," he said. "But then, it kind of went different paths. The Man above works in mysterious ways and I'm back."
He said UH was the last recruiting trip he took and didn't need much urging to accept its offer.
"You can't beat the crowd," he said. "The people here are great."
West's performance came when the Warriors really needed it. With running back Mike Bass out with a knee injury and Michael Brewster unable to return to the game after his 4-yard TD run in the first quarter — his only carry — after a sprained ankle, West gave the Warriors a running threat to counter their passing attack.
"I believe in my ability and Coach (Jones) gave me a chance to showcase it," West said.
Quarterback Tim Chang appreciated the way all of UH's backs picked up the slack for the injured players.
"People are getting hurt, people are going down," Chang said. "Guys are stepping up and it's a great thing.
"The program is getting better. When you have depth at each position, you know the next guy can do just as well, it's so much more easier. The guys at running back are good and they'll be here for the next three, four years."
