Posted on: Sunday, August 10, 2003
NOTEBOOK
Safety transfers to UH
| • | Warriors' LaBoy at peace with himself |
| • | WAC ticket package to be offered |
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Free safety Tui Ava'ava has transferred from Washington State and will join the University of Hawai'i football team Aug. 25.
"My dad's from here, and I wanted to come down here," said Ava'ava, who is 6 feet 2 and 204 pounds.
In accordance with NCAA transfer rules, Ava'ava must sit out this coming season. After that, he will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Ava'ava said he decided to transfer because of "a bunch of different things. Mostly, I wanted to get out on my own and grow up. This is the perfect program for me."
Ava'ava has attended practices this week. The NCAA limits football rosters to 105 players during training camp. The restriction is lifted Aug. 25, the first day of UH's fall semester.
• Let the games begin: Yesterday, the Warriors practiced for the first time in full pads. That opened the way for the one-on-one drills between offensive and defensive linemen, as well as 11-on-11 close-to-full-contact plays.
Defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga dominated the one-on-one competition, once easily tossing aside 6-foot-5, 312-pound guard Ryan Santos.
Vantz Singletary, who coaches the defensive linemen, exhorted his players to play aggressively.
To Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan, a converted basketball player, Singletary yelled: "Kill or be killed."
After his defenders repeatedly maneuvered past the blockers, Singletary said, "Can I get a cell phone? I want to call HPD."
• And the winners are...: Sure, quarterback Tim Chang is being promoted as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy as the nation's best college football player. But some already have won team honors, such as:
• Fastest: Free safety Leonard Peters was the fastest in the 40-yard dash, completing the distance in an electronically timed 4.42 seconds. Peters, who beat out running back Mike Bass by a nanosecond, credited jumping exercises and a yoga class.
• Strongest: A league-high 19 Warriors can bench press 400 pounds, led by Sopoaga's and linebacker Chad Kalilimoku's 500-pound lifts.
But the 6-foot-3, 335-pound Sopoaga gets the edge because he bench pressed 225 pounds a team-high 36 times.
"Look at this body," said Sopoaga, slapping his washboards. "If I do only 20 or 25, that's really embarrassing. That's not good. You have to do more than 30 or 35."
• Largest: In his flashdance-ripping green practice jersey, defensive tackle Matt Faga resembles Bruce Banner after somebody kicked over his Mountain Dew. Equipment manager Al Ginoza said he has not measured Faga for a game uniform.
The 6-foot-2 Faga, a 2000 Kaimuki High graduate who played two years at a junior college, initially claimed to weigh 350 pounds.
"I took him down to the training room, put him on the scale and it showed '401,' " said Singletary. Since then, Singletary said, Faga has lost more than 20 pounds.
"I have to stop eating Samoan food and start eating salads," Faga said. "I like salads, but I like (them) with ranch dressing."
For now, Faga, who has two years of eligibility remaining, is projected as a short-yardage defender. He can bench press 495 pounds and, despite his size, is somewhat agile.
