Morris launches his second shot at No. 1

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Rodney "Rocket" Morris always wears aloha shirts when competing in tournaments. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser Rocket file Name: Rodney "Rocket" Morris Hometown: Pearl City Age: 33 Turned pro: 1988 Career highlights: 1996 U.S. Open champion; 2001 Sands Regency champion; 2003 World Pool League champion; member, 2003 U.S. Mosconi Cup team Today's exhibition: 2 p.m. at Hawaiian Brian's, 9-ball match (race to 21 games) vs. Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan (ranked No. 2 on AZbilliards' money list); free admission

Rodney "Rocket" Morris, a 1988 graduate of Pearl City High School and one of the world's best pool players, kicks off 2004 competition today at Hawaiian Brian's with an exhibition match against Toronto's Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, ranked No. 2 on AzBilliards' world money list.

Morris, 33, then leaves tomorrow for the LA Open at Bell Gardens, Calif., Tuesday through Sunday before heading to his new base in Charlotte, N.C. — home of his sponsor, Fury cues.

Morris built up a lot of momentum at the end of 2003, winning the prestigious StanJames.com World Pool League championship in Warsaw, Poland, on Oct. 26.

He followed that performance by helping the United States' six-man team win the Mosconi Cup — pool's equivalent of golf's Ryder Cup challenge versus Europe's best — two weeks ago in Las Vegas.

Morris hopes to carry that momentum into 2004, during which he aspires to be pool's Player of the Year and "see if I can take the game to the next level." He says this not in a boastful tone, but a confident and realistic one.

"I still don't think I've reached my prime," Morris said.

Rocket launch

Morris' quest to be the world's best began almost immediately after he took up the game as a 16-year-old at Hawaiian Brian's old Ke'eaumoku location.

"I'd spend at least 10 hours a day in there," Morris said. "There were 29 tables, and I'd play on every one of them. You could find me there almost any time of the day. One time, I was there for 24 hours straight. The game was so interesting and fun to me, I didn't want to leave."

Richard "Aki" Akimoto, co-owner of Hawaiian Brian's, noticed right away that Morris had all the ingredients to be an elite player on the world stage.

"There's always been young players in here with the ability, kids who had just as much talent as Rodney," Akimoto said. "But nobody had the desire and drive he had. He paid his dues when he was younger, because he was always trying to learn the game as opposed to just playing. That's very important if you want to be a top player, so you could tell he had something special."

Morris played in his first pro tournament near the end of 1988 and quickly became one of the sport's most popular figures. He lived up to his catchy nickname — given to him as a teenager at Hawaiian Brian's because of his ultra-fast play — and proudly honored his island roots.

"I definitely have a different style, and my personality reflects that," Morris said. "I used to play just ridiculously fast, and I still play relatively fast. Plus I usually wear aloha shirts when I play, and I always flash the shaka during the introductions, especially if it's on TV. I never forget where I came from."

Highs and lows

Morris reached the sport's pinnacle in 1996, when he won the U.S. Open. But a year later, he reached life's nadir, when he was convicted on drug conspiracy charges.

From 1997-2001, Morris lived in a federal prison camp in Sheridan, Ore., and said he learned many lessons through the ordeal.

"I learned to make better choices, to be careful who you trust," he said. "Now I really try to disassociate myself from that element. A lot of people are surprised I was in prison."

Akimoto said he and others at Hawaiian Brian's were heartbroken with Morris' sudden fall.

"We look at the kids who grow up in our room almost as our own kids," Akimoto said. "You just hope they don't get into trouble, but sometimes they gotta learn the hard way. But hopefully Rodney will become a better person because of it, and I still think he's a good representative of Hawai'i. He is very well-liked, and every place he plays, he's the most popular guy."

Despite four years away from the game, Morris won the first tournament he played in after his release, the Sands Regency (Reno) Open in 2001. And now, in addition to big victories in Poland and Las Vegas, he has a sponsorship from Fury that includes a salary and travel expenses.

"His career should skyrocket now," Akimoto said.

Morris added that this time, he is taking nothing for granted.

"Every day now, it's like I'm winning the lottery for the moment," Morris said. "I'm enjoying myself in everything I do."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.