Jones' 1999 recruits are first-class

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Sure, it seems like a no-brainer now, like investing in a Krispy Kreme franchise.

Hawai'i football players who will take the Senior Walk Saturday are: front row, from left, Chad Kalilimoku, Clifton Herbert, Hyrum Peters and Lyle Castro; back row, from left, Jeremiah Cockheran, Jason Whieldon, Lance Samuseva, David Gilmore, Keani Alapa, Isa'ako Sopoaga, Kevin Jackson, John West, Houston Ala, Gary Wright, Michael Miyashiro and Kelvin Millhouse. Missing: Shayne Kajioka, Travis LaBoy, Keali'i Aguiar and Lui Fuga. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

"Coach Jones told us we could be the first (recruiting) class to turn everything around," defensive tackle Lance Samuseva said. "I knew I could trust him."

Offensive lineman Shayne Kajioka said: "It was kind of a gamble, but (Jones) made everything seem promising. The gamble paid off."

Saturday's Senior Walk, following the regular-season finale against 17th-ranked Boise State, will honor the first fifth-year seniors in Jones' five years as UH head coach. Of the 20 seniors, only Kajioka, Samuseva, linebacker Keani Alapa, safety David Gilmore, slotback Clifton Herbert, defensive end Kevin Jackson, defensive back Gary Wright and defensive lineman Lui Fuga have been there from the start. Fuga, who transferred to UH during the 1998 fall semester, has petitioned the NCAA for a medical hardship that will allow him to play as a sixth-year senior in 2004.

Of the other seven fifth-year seniors, only Kajioka, Samuseva and Jackson entered UH as scholarship players. Half of this year's 20 seniors, including defensive end Travis LaBoy and safety Hyrum Peters, began their UH careers as nonscholarship players. "We take pride in being the first freshman class," Kajioka said. "We're happy to jump-start a program that's on the rise right now."

Two players from that 1999 recruiting class — linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa and offensive lineman Vince Manuwai — and running back James Fenderson, who joined as a walk-on, are now on National Football League rosters. Doug Sims, a defensive tackle, played for the San Diego Chargers last season but was cut during training camp in August.

The rest have enjoyed one of the best five-year runs — 39-24 record, three bowls — in the program's history.

"I'll never forget anything that happened these five years," Wright said. "The 3-9 season (in 2000) was pretty tough on us, but we learned from that. From that season, we learned how to win. I can't believe it's over, but it's time to move on."

Isa'ako Sopoaga, who attended College of the Canyons in California before enrolling at UH, was raised in American Samoa.

Wright paid for his tuition working as a custodian at an elementary school.

The fathers of LaBoy and defensive end Houston Ala were Jones' UH teammates in the early 1970s.

Jeremiah Cockheran, a wide receiver from California, lived with junior quarterback Tim Chang during the summer. This fall, he is roommates with quarterback Jason Whieldon.

"I like it here because there are a lot of different ethnicities," said Samuseva, who is of Samoan ancestry. "I don't know another school with all of our different ethnicities. Over here, we all get along."

Whieldon said: "Such a diverse group, it's pretty cool. These guys are so cool. Race, being local, it doesn't matter. Everybody just hangs out.

"(Slotback) Gerald Welch is probably the most local guy on the team, and he's one of my best buds on the team. But for the first year, I couldn't understand a word he said. Now we're always on the same page. It's great."

Alapa, a Kamehameha Schools graduate, said: "Everything turned out well for us. We're happy to be here. It's the first time I've been around so many different kind of people, but we grew up and became brothers. We act like brothers."

When he was being recruited by Jones, Samuseva recalled, "he told me, 'You will learn more on the football field than on the campus.' I think he's right. Being around these guys keeps me humble. They make me remember where I came from. That's one thing I'm going to miss."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.