Posted on: Sunday, November 7, 2004
Chang shares the special moment with his family
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Tim Chang has passed the football 2,211 times in his University of Hawai'i career. Yet his most memorable pass won't show up in today's box score; nor will it be inscribed in the NCAA record book.
Photos by Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser "(I told him) that I loved him," said Chang of when he gave his father a hug after giving him the ball. "I thanked him and (told him) that I loved him. Family plays a big role, especially in my life. I owe them everything. Without them, then this wouldn't be possible."
For 10 years, Levi Chang, Nanakuli High's principal by day, has served as the red cap at UH games. He has been stoic throughout, no matter what the feelings the Aloha Stadium fans were expressing when his son played well or not.
"He's always there on the sidelines and not too many people notice him," Tim Chang said. "He doesn't show any emotion, whether we do bad, whether we do good, or if I get hurt. He really shows no emotion, but I thought I'd recognize him because he's on the field already. He's been a very big role model for me."
"I wasn't expecting it," Levi Chang said of the moment. "It feels good to see your son break the record and it was nice to recognize that the father's on the field. Unbelievable."
And up in the blue section of the south end zone, the proud mother, Mary Ann Chang, felt the chicken-skin moment.
"It caught me by surprise," Mary Ann Chang said. "It was a real touching moment, for a son to do that for his father. I don't think his dad expected it either. But it was a nice gesture on (Tim's) part, so I'm happy."
Levi Chang said he had considered giving up being the red hat. But (Tim) "asked that I stay on." But Levi Chang said this is likely his last year of being the guy that holds up the game so TV can pay its bills. "I'll let some of the younger guys take over," he said.
Trailing, 7-0, Chang moved the Warriors down field early in the first quarter before reaching second-and-goal at the 7. He fired a bullet to Rivers coming across from the left in the back side of the end zone to pass Ty Detmer's mark of 15,031 yards.
"At first, I didn't realize it (was the record)," Rivers said. "When it hit me, I was so happy for Timmy. The whole stadium, Hawai'i, I mean, this puts us on the map big time."
The news reached Ty Detmer, the Brigham Young quarterback who held the record at 15,031.
"I'm happy for Timmy, the University of Hawai'i and his family," Detmer told The Advertiser in a telephone interview from Texas after the record was set. "I wish him luck in the future. Congratulate him for me. I've known this was coming since this summer."
Detmer, of course, has Hawai'i ties. The announcement of the Heisman Trophy he won in 1990 came when he and Brigham Young University were here.
Like Chang, Rivers also is a Saint Louis' alumnus. In fact, another former Crusader was on the receiving end of yet another NCAA record that wasn't recognized during the game. A 5-yard completion to Gerald Welch allowed Chang to pass Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury's completions mark of 1,231.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
Chang's best pass came after he threw the 7-yard TD pass to Jason Rivers that set the all-time passing yards mark, now at 15,303 yards. It happened when he jogged across the field from the UH sidelines to the opposite side to hand the football from the historical play to his father, Levi Chang, the "red cap," or the field official that lets game officials know of television timeouts.
Tim Chang, center, and teammates Timo Paepule, left, and Karl Noa celebrate Hawai'i's 34-23 win.
Except for hugging his son, Levi Chang still was his same stoic self after. There were handshakes from others on the sidelines.
Levi Chang
Mary Ann Chang
