Posted on: Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Injury list revolving door for Warriors
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
The University of Hawai'i football team apparently has lost two more players to injuries.
But at least two others have recovered from ailments and are expected to play in Saturday's game against Northwestern.
Defensive tackle Darrell Tautofi yesterday was on crutches because of a strained left calf. His availability is listed between "questionable" and "doubtful" for Saturday's game.
His brother, Daniel, a defensive end, is expected to miss the final two regular-season games after suffering a concussion when he slipped in the Aloha Stadium shower after Saturday's 52-21 victory over Idaho.
"We were all very concerned," UH coach June Jones said. "You never know with a head injury. I've heard about people dying. Believe me, when it happened, and how he was in a seizure for three or four minutes, everybody was concerned that it was life-threatening."
Tautofi was treated at Queen's Medical Center and released Sunday night.
"He's at home, and he's resting," Jones said. "He still has headaches, like you would from a major head trauma. ... He won't play football again this year."
Left cornerback Abraham Elimimian, who did not play last week because of a strained right hamstring, and weakside linebacker Tanuvasa Moe, who missed the past four games because of a pulled right hamstring, practiced with the first-team defense.
"I'm happy my leg is feeling good," Elimimian said. "I'm glad I took a week off. I could have played last week, but I would have been a gimp and I would have hurt the team. This game, I'm back in full force."
Moe also said he would not have been effective if he tried to play against Idaho.
"There's nothing I could have done to help them," he said. "I probably would have hurt them. The best thing I could do was cheer them on."
Moe spent his spare time in the weight room — he gained five pounds and now weighs 225 — and by tutoring his replacement, freshman Brad Kali-limoku.
"Brad is always good about listening and learning," Moe said. "He came straight from the scout team to starting. I think he's done an awesome job in there. He's got everybody from different directions telling him what to do. I try not to tell him too much because he gets so much advice from the coaches. But when I step in and tell him something, he listens."
Yesterday, Moe played both on the weak and strong sides while Kalilimoku remained as weakside linebacker.
Offensive lineman Uriah Moenoa, who is recovering from a strained hamstring and knee injury, and middle linebacker Ikaika Curnan, who has a sprained right ankle, also practiced. Their availability won't be determined until at least Friday.
Curnan has missed six consecutive starts. "It's not 100 percent," he said of his right ankle. "I can't really move laterally."
Because the sprain is "deep inside," Curnan said, massages and electrical stimulation have not been effective treatments.
"It just needs time to heal," he said. "It's aggravating. ... I want to go in. I want to play. I really haven't played this year."
After taking pain-killers, Curnan begged his way into the Boise State game four weeks ago. "You don't feel the damage until the next morning, when you wake up and you don't feel like you have a leg," he said.
'Homesick' Pearman on leave from team Running back Andrew Pearman, the jewel of UH's 2004 recruiting class, is on an excused leave of absence from the team. Pearman, who is redshirting this season, did not attend Saturday's game against Idaho nor participate in yesterday's practice.
Jones said Pearman asked for time to work on "academic" and "personal" issues.
Last week, Jones acknowledged that Pearman raised the possibility of returning to the East Coast at the end of the fall semester.
"He's homesick," Jones said yesterday. "He's dealing with some of that stuff."
Defensive line coach Vantz Singletary said several teammates — running back Michael Brewster and offensive lineman Brandon Eaton of Houston and linebacker Khevin Peoples of Florida — are trying to encourage Pearman to remain with the team.
In 14 games last season at Providence Senior High in Charlotte, N.C., Pearman rushed for 2,268 yards, breaking the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County record, and scored 37 touchdowns.
He can run 40 yards in 4.3 seconds and 100 meters in 10.3 seconds.
Switching to center a snap for Satele
Mike Cavanaugh, who coaches the offensive linemen, figured it was inevitable Samson Satele would gravitate toward center.
"I think his dad said it best: he's found his home," Cavanaugh said.
Satele has played right tackle, left tackle and left guard before moving to center last week. Starting center Derek Fa'avi has a deep bruise in his right knee, and his immediate backup, right guard Moenoa, is recovering from injuries.
With two days of practice, Satele, who had not played center since his sophomore year at Kailua High, made an easy transition. Unlike most football teams, the Warriors use shotgun snaps.
"For just walking in and playing center, he's as good as I've ever seen for somebody playing (center) for the first time," Jones said. "He didn't have a bad snap. He never really snapped in a game before and, for him to do what he did, says a lot."
Satele said: "I feel comfortable now. I needed to get used to playing (center) in a game. That's all I needed, one game's experience."
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.
