WARRIORS NOTEBOOK
Chang proud to be role model
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
But quarterback Tim Chang's status as the only Division I-A starting quarterback of Asian American ancestry has attracted widespread interest.
The Los Angeles Times and San Jose Mercury News, both serving markets with large Asian American populations, have emphasized Chang's ethnicity in profile stories.
Yesterday, two publications focusing on Asian issues interviewed Chang. A reporter for The Associated Press noted that UH football stories mentioning Chang and wideout Britton Komine automatically forward to publications specializing in Asian American affairs.
The attention will magnify as Chang, a fourth-year junior from Saint Louis School, approaches Ty Detmer's NCAA career record of 15,031 passing yards. Barring injury, Chang will break the record midway through the 2004 season.
Chang is a mixture of Hawaiian, Chinese, Puerto Rican, English, Irish and Spanish. Although he identifies most closely as being Hawaiian, because of his surname, "people assume I'm only Chinese."
Chang has a following in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. "For the people (for whom) I'm a role model, I'm very grateful," Chang said. "It's always in the back of my mind. I'm very proud. ... In Hawai'i, we pretty much take it for granted being that so many people have more than one ethnicity. I'm very proud to represent the Asian American culture as well as the other ethnicities that I am."
The Warriors have one of the most diverse rosters in Division I-A football. Ninety-one of the 104 Warriors are minorities. Five of the nine full-time assistant coaches and both graduate assistant coaches are minorities.
"We're the Warrior coalition," Jones said.
Running in place: Running back Michael Bass said he has no intention of following his younger brother Ray's footsteps out of the football program. Ray Bass, a highly regarded freshman cornerback, has decided to transfer to another school.
Michael Bass, a junior from Corona, Calif., played in 22 of 26 games as a freshman and sophomore, earning 11 starts. Although he has fully recovered from a knee injury, Bass has played in six of nine games this season and received 30 of the Warriors' 188 carries. West Keli'ikipi and Michael Brewster have moved ahead of Bass and John West on the depth chart.
"Of course, I'm unhappy about my (playing) time, but I can't do anything about it," he said. "If I don't fit in the scheme, I don't. ... I have to take it. ... When (Jones) is ready to play me again, he'll play me. That's all it is."
He said his situation did not lead to his brother's departure.
"I wouldn't say he was unhappy about my playing time," he said. "He didn't really like the program, didn't really like what was going on. He wanted to move on. That's all it is."
Health report: Starting defensive left end Houston Ala, who has a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, is expected to play sparingly in Saturday's road game against Nevada, defensive line coach Vantz Singletary said.
"I think he's going to be OK, but he's going to be very limited," Singletary said.
Melila Purcell and Kevin Jackson will split playing time at left end.
Strong safety Hyrum Peters did not practice yesterday because of a sore right leg. He expects to practice today. He first complained of tightness during a practice Oct. 17 in Houston.
"I don't think I drank enough water," he said. "I didn't pull it. I didn't do anything. It was one of those things where you have to drink water when you know it's going to be hot and humid."
It is unlikely Gary Wright, a backup cornerback and top player on special teams, will be available against Nevada. He suffered a sprained right ankle during a seven-on-seven drill Monday. He did not practice yesterday, although he was able to walk without crutches.
"It doesn't feel so good," he said.
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.
