Posted on: Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Football recruit not cleared yet
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
One of the University of Hawai'i football team's top recruits has incurred a snag in his quest to play for the Warriors this coming season.
Chris Cole, a June graduate of Mission Viejo (Calif.) High, has earned a qualifying cumulative grade-point average and SAT score under the NCAA's freshman eligibility rules. But the NCAA Clearinghouse is reviewing whether one of Cole's classes counts as a core subject. If it does, Cole will be eligible to play for the Warriors this fall. If not, Cole can enroll at UH, but not be eligible to play or practice with the team until August 2004.
Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, defensive end Mel Purcell and defensive back A.J. Martinez did not play as UH freshmen because of a similar rule. Tinoisamoa, who played three seasons at UH, was the St. Louis Rams' second-round draft pick in April. Purcell and Martinez will join the Warriors for training camp next month.
The Clearinghouse rules on the eligibility of all freshman student-athletes. A federal privacy law prevents UH officials from publicly discussing the academic status of recruits.
The NCAA requires an incoming freshman to earn passing grades in 13 or 14 core classes. The number of classes is based on a sliding scale factoring a student's grade-point average and SAT score.
Cole, who is 5 feet 9 and 220 pounds, was named the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division II Defensive Player of the Year in 2002. Cole played defensive line in high school, but is projected to compete at weak-side linebacker at UH.
Cole can run 40 yards in 4.6 seconds and squat-lift 500 pounds. He made three tackles-for-losses in a recent California all-star game.
Mission Viejo, coached by the father of NFL quarterback Rob Johnson, finished No. 10 in USA Today's final 2002 national rankings.
"He's very, very good," Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson said of Cole. "He has motor speed and football sense. He really knows the game and he plays hard. He has real instincts. There's no doubt in my mind he'll do well in college."
