Posted on: Thursday, June 2, 2005
JC linebacker to join Warriors
| • | UH football might be on ABC against Fresno State |
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
The University of Hawai'i football team has secured a commitment from a junior college player who doubles as an outside linebacker and punter.
"I'm going to be a Warrior," said Pono Havea, a sophomore at Dixie State College in Saint George, Utah.
This month, Havea, who is 6 feet 2 and 245 pounds, will earn an associate degree, an NCAA eligibility requirement for a player transferring from a junior college.
Havea said he will move to Hawai'i in July to participate in the Warriors' summer conditioning program.
Havea received offers from San Jose State and Idaho State, and drew interest from Arizona State. But he chose UH after a recruiting visit two weeks ago.
"It was cool over there," Havea said. "They have a good program, and it's a great place to go to school."
He said several of his relatives live in La'ie. He was born in Tonga, and moved to Utah during his sophomore year of high school.
Dixie coach Greg Croshaw said Havea missed most of the 2003 season because of a broken wrist. But he came back to start at linebacker in the junior college national championship game.
An ankle injury limited Havea to six games last season. Of his 16.5 tackles, 4.5 were in the opposing team's backfield. He had two sacks and two pass deflections.
Croshaw said Havea was used as a rush end and outside linebacker. "He runs really well," Croshaw said. "He was a rover guy for us."
Havea said he can run 40 yards in 4.6 seconds and bench press 225 pounds 16 times. He said he was promised an opportunity to compete at outside linebacker and punter at UH, where he will have three years to play two seasons. Although he has launched 70-yard punts in practices, he did not attempt any punts during games.
Brennan moving here
With the paperwork completed, quarterback Colt Brennan is set to move to Hawai'i Saturday and begin competing for the starting job.
"Everything is ready to go," said Brennan, who played at Saddleback Community College (Mission Viejo, Calif.) last season and will be among five quarterbacks invited to compete in UH's training camp in August.
Brennan is serving a four-year probation after being found guilty of first-degree criminal trespass and second-degree burglary for a January 2004 incident that occurred when he was a freshman at the University of Colorado.
After serving two sentences totaling seven days, his probation was transferred from Colorado to California.
His request to allow Hawai'i authorities to oversee his probation was tentatively approved, although the measure will not be finalized for a few more weeks. Yesterday, Brennan received a travel permit that will allow him to move to Hawai'i and attend UH while his change-of-venue request is pending.
"The system has helped to put me on the right track," Brennan said.
Brennan, who is 6 feet 3 and 205 pounds, can run 40 yards in 4.7 seconds. At a combine sponsored by jcfootball.com, Brennan completed the shuttle run in 4.2 seconds; receivers and cornerbacks usually cover the distance in 4.1 or 4.2 seconds.
The NCAA will recognize Brennan as a sophomore with three years to play three seasons, although he has enough transferrable credits (67) to be a junior. He earned an associate degree at Saddleback.
Speeding into summer
The summer series of Hawai'i Speed and Quickness begins this weekend at the UH athletic complex.
For $10 per session, each participant receives instruction in plyometrics, resistance training and running tips.
The lead instructors are Rich Miano, a former UH defensive back who played 11 seasons in the National Football League, and Mel deLaura, a conditioning coach and former personal trainer for several National Basketball Association players.
The clinics Saturday and Sunday are divided into two sessions: 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. for ages 7-12, and 10:30 a.m. to noon for those 13 and older.
To register, call 739-5444 or log on to hawaiispeedandquickness.com
Here's the rest of the schedule: June 11, 12, 18, 19; July 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31.
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.
