Familiar names take to the field

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Dane Uperesa, right, is following in the footsteps of his father (Kevin) and uncle (Keith) for the Warriors. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

On the first day of the University of Hawai'i's spring football practice, there was an "Uperesa" working with the first-team offensive line and an "Akina" throwing passes in seven-on-seven drills.

Dane Uperesa's father (Kevin) and uncle (Keith) were standout college and Island high school players.

Kainoa Akina is the son of Texas assistant coach Duane Akina, a former UH assistant coach, and nephew of four former Hawai'i high school quarterbacks.

Both are unlikely Warriors.

Uperesa, a 2002 Punahou School graduate, could have accepted a scholarship from California or walked on at Southern California, where Keith Uperesa is an assistant coach.

"I liked the (UH) coaching staff, and I wanted to be here," Uperesa said.

Akina echoed that sentiment, although joining UH meant transferring from Eastern Michigan, where he started seven games as a freshman.

"There are things more important than football," said Akina, a third-year sophomore who knew Tim Chang was entrenched as the Warriors' starting quarterback. "Obviously, here we have Timmy. We know Timmy's the guy. He knows the offense better than I know the alphabet. If I wanted to play (right away), I would have stayed up in Michigan. But, shoot, it's 12 degrees in Michigan. Over here, I hear Waikiki's (surf is) rolling in pretty well. Right after class, I was thinking of going down there and hitting up some surf real quick."

Uperesa, who redshirted last season, is considered the leading contender to start at right tackle, a position vacated when Uriah Moenoa moved to right guard.

"It's a big gap to fill," he said. "I did a lot of work in the weight room, and I got a little stronger."

Last August, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Uperesa could bench press 225 pounds six times. Now, he can lift that weight 20 times, as well as bench press a maximum 350 pounds.

He said he regularly receives tutoring from his father, who is "always there telling me what to expect, how to adjust."

Akina, who was raised in Arizona but spent summers in Hawai'i, also is close to his relatives.

"I wanted to come back and play in front of the family and be around local people," he said. "There aren't very many local people in the Midwest, and the food is not as good. Everything is potatoes instead of rice."

He said he consulted with his father last summer before deciding to transfer.

"My dad always says college only happens one time," Akina recalled. "It was good in Michigan, but sometimes you have to take a chance. So far, I have no complaints. The offense is good, especially for a quarterback. It's like being on the playground. All of the guys are running around, and all I have to do is find the open guy. I feel like I won the lottery."