Kapanui settles down in football, life
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
For University of Hawai'i football player Chad Kapanui, life is a multiple-choice quiz.
Margurite Kapanui photo
Through his junior year at Roosevelt High, Kapanui lived in a house at the center of three communities. "If I walked across the street, I'd be in Punchbowl," he recalled. "If I walked down the stairs, I'd be in Pauoa. If I walked upstairs, I would be in Papakolea."
Chad Kapanui and Brandee Amoy were married Feb. 21. At left is Chad Jr., and on the right is Hiwa.
At Roosevelt, the four seasons meant football, basketball, baseball and track.
Since enrolling at UH in August 2000, he has built a library of playbooks. One training camp he played quarterback, linebacker and running back. He also has been used as a safety, long-snapper and punter. He is a member of all of the special teams.
"I've had a lot of opportunities," said Kapanui, a fifth-year senior.
But this spring practice, Kapanui has settled down. He is listed as the No. 1 strong-side linebacker.
"This is the first time I've gone a whole year without switching positions," Kapanui said. "It's actually good for me."
He was selected as Roosevelt's quarterback when the coaches asked for a volunteer and Kapanui was the only one not to step backward. UH recruited him as a quarterback, largely because of his powerful right arm. He can throw a football 85 yards on the fly.
But through all of the job changes, "I always felt like a linebacker," he recalled. "After all of these years, I think I've finally found a home."
Kapanui actually became a homebody last year, when he, Brandee Amoy, their son and her daughter moved into an apartment.
"It's hard to pay all of the bills, but we want to live on our own," he said. "That's what it's all about. For me, it's being responsible and acting like a man."
Last Christmas, Kapanui gave Brandee two small gold-colored boxes. One box contained diamond earrings. The other was empty.
"I was like, 'OK, nice one,' " she recalled. "I was kind of mad. I looked at him, and he was on his knees. I said, 'What are you doing?' "
Kapanui handed her a diamond ring. "I told her, 'I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you,' " he said. "I asked her to marry me."
"I was like, 'huh?' " Brandee said. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I couldn't say anything. For once, I had no words. Then the tears came. I couldn't stop crying."
"I didn't cry," Kapanui said. "I'm a tough guy."
"He was close," she said. "You could tell he wanted to cry."
"Maybe ..." he said.
They were married Feb. 21, the second anniversary of their first date. "We have so much in common," he said. "That's why I love her so much."
Brandee is a title clerk at Honolulu Ford. Chad works during the summer and school breaks.
He does the dishes and laundry. Every morning, he prepares breakfast before heading to UH for spring football practice.
"He's a sweetie," she said. "I'm very lucky."
He is scheduled to earn a bachelor's degree next year. After that, Brandee will return to school, studying to be a nurse.
"Things could have gone different ways," he said, "but I'm glad everything turned out. I have my family and football. I'm happy."
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.
