Elimimian no longer toiling in anonymity

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

A weight gain and aggressive play have helped Abraham Elimimian step out of the shadows of his more heralded teammates in the Hawai'i secondary. Advertiser library photo Hawai'i at Louisiana Tech When: Saturday, 9 a.m. TV: Live on KFVE

"It bugs me sometimes when I don't get noticed," said Elimimian, a junior cornerback from Los Angeles. "I'm the type of guy who loves attention. The best way to get attention is to play hard."

In the last five games, Elimimian has emerged as one of the Warriors' best defensive backs. In last week's 55-28 victory over Fresno State, he shut down speedy wideout Marque Davis. He also has become a physical open-field tackler, particularly on running plays.

Still, in a defensive secondary featuring safeties Hyrum Peters and Leonard Peters and heralded cornerback Kelvin Millhouse, Elimimian often feels like the fourth Stooge.

Entering the season, Elimimian said, "I was in the background. Nobody really knew my name. ... It was like we had three defensive backs. Nobody knew who the fourth guy really was. That bugged me. But they're my teammates and I love each and every one of them. As a competitor, you want to see yourself do well, but the main thing is for us to win."

To be sure, there are some benefits to anonymity. In last year's upset victory at Fresno State, Elimimian played a near flawless game. But when a controversial call went against UH, he went Romanowski, uprooting a pylon and tossing it. Guess which play made SportsCenter?

"I messed up, and everybody remembers that," Elimimian said. "This year, I decided to play 60 minutes of football and worry about everything else later."

Elimimian, who broke into the starting lineup as second-year freshman in 2001, spent the offseason working on improving his strength. He gained 18 pounds, and now weighs 191.

He said the added bulk enables him to fend off a receiver's push-and-run tactics.

After hearing doubts about his ability to cover taller receivers, he Google'd "defensive backs" and learned that his height — 5 feet 10 — was within the range of the average pro cornerback. "I'm not tall," he said, "but I'm not short."

Two weeks ago, when UH coach June Jones challenged his players to become leaders, Elimimian stepped forward. He found inspiration in a letter from St. Louis Rams rookie and former UH teammate Pisa Tinoisamoa, who wrote, "Only you can believe in yourself."

"That meant a lot to me," Elimimian said. "I knew somebody had to step up and show people. You can't wait for somebody to step up. You have to step up yourself. People rally around people like that."

Leonard Peters said Elimimian, in the last few weeks, has "played like he had something to prove. Abe became a leader."

One gesture was Elimimian's decision to play with pain. Despite a sprained left ankle, he has not missed a practice this week.

"I could have sat out," Elimimian said. "But if I want to be a leader, I can't just talk about it. I have to do things to show the younger guys I'm willing to make a sacrifice. That's the way to earn respect."

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