The University of Hawai'i football team's chant — eo na toa, eo na toa e — is going global.

Plans are finalized to sell logo merchandise on the Internet (www.warriorsrespond.com) and at stores across the country. The launch will be announced at a news conference today.

For now, the products include T-shirts, tank tops, polo shirts, caps, visors, dog tags and wristbands.

All proceeds go to HUGS and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawai'i for severely ill children. The June Jones Foundation is handling the distribution.

The UH football chant, played before and during games, originated from a discussion between Jones, the Warriors' head coach, and Emmy Award-winning composer Mike Post, who crafted the themes for such television shows as "L.A. Law," "Hill Street Blues," "Law & Order" and "NYPD Blue."

During a dinner at the Waialae Country Club three years ago, Post told Jones: "You've got to find something that is so Polynesian that it relates to your football team. You need a slogan, words to live by, whose meaning is hyper specific to Hawai'i."

Post called Kanalu Young, an associate professor at the Kamakakakuolani Center for Hawaiian Studies.

Young suggested this phrase, eo na toa, eo na toa e, which, according to the Web site, translates to: "Respond fellow Warriors, respond with one's heart to the challenges that lie ahead of us."

"I passed the phone to June," Post recalled. "His eyes got big. He said, 'I'll never have to give another speech in my life.' "

Post scribbled the phrase on a place mat he still possesses. He went to Los Angeles to tinker with some tunes.

"I came down here, and I got a bunch of real Polynesian chanters and drummers and musicians in a little studio above Salt Lake, and we recorded a bunch of music that's specific to Hawai'i and Polynesia," Post said.

Post donated the rights to the music to UH and the June Jones Foundation.

"The rights belong to Hawai'i," he said. "It's ancient. I'm happy to have a house here and have a life here and have friends here. This is part of giving back. A lot of people come to Hawai'i and take away. I wanted to come to Hawai'i and give back. This place helped me. My job is to pay back and not take away."

MORE TESTS FOR AH SOON

Offensive tackle Keith Ah Soon yesterday was scheduled to visit a doctor specializing in spinal-cord injuries.

Ah Soon has been suffering from stingers — a nerve-pinch injury — on the right side of his neck periodically for about a year.

A magnetic resonance imaging did not show any abnormalities, Ah Soon said.

But Dr. Jay Marumoto, one of the team's medical consultants, recommended that Ah Soon see a specialist.

Ah Soon, the top backup at both tackle positions, said he feels "fine," and expects to resume practicing soon. But Ah Soon said he was told he would be withheld until he receives the specialist's blessing.

TABS KEPT ON BRENNAN

Colt Brennan of the University of Hawai'i is one of 22 players on the watch list for the 2006 Manning Award as the nation's best college quarterback.

The Sugar Bowl Committee announced the list. The award is in honor of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and his sons, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts, and Eli Manning of the New York Giants.

"It's cool," Brennan said. "I watch Peyton a lot. I like the way he takes control of the game. It's a different style of quarterback. I like his commercials, too. He has some of the best commercials."

Earlier, Brennan was named to the watch lists of the Maxwell Walter Camp awards.

LAFAELE MIGHT NOT GO

There is concern about nose tackle Michael Lafaele's health. He has not competed in drills for five consecutive practices because of an injured left foot.

Lafaele received a cortisone shot Tuesday, when he was fitted for a walking boot. He said he hopes to resume practicing today or tomorrow.

For the Sept. 2 season opener against Alabama, "he'll play," Jones said.

"Knowing Mike's toughness, he'll be able to go," said Jeff Reinebold, who coaches the defensive linemen. "But that's speculation right now. Until he can show us he's healthy, he's not going to go. When you're trying to put together a travel squad, as limited as 60 (players) is, do you take a guy who may only go four, five plays in that heat, and then you lose him for the other 85? ... I know he'll want to go, but in the best interest of the football team, if he's going to play four or five plays and then go down and limit our ability to play rotations, that's not a risk he can take with the team."

With Lawrence Wilson also hobbling because of an ankle injury, Kahai LaCount received most of the work at nose tackle. Keala Watson, who moved from nose tackle to defensive end in the spring, is preparing to play in the middle.

"It's an easy adjustment to make," Watson said.

'NAT-NAT' WORKS WAY IN

When the music stopped, Tyson Kafentzis and Micah Lau were standing as the outside linebackers on the first team. The top three players at the position — Amani Purcell (sore left in-step), C.J. Allen-Jones (tight left hamstring) and Brashton Satele (stringer, bruised right quadriceps) — did not participate in contact drills.

Kafentzis was back after missing Tuesday's practice because of flu-like symptoms. "It was a lot of Airborne and a lot of pills," Kafentzis said of his recovery. "I was really dehydrated. My head felt like a basketball."

Lau, who earned a scholarship because of his play on special teams last year, is becoming the guest who won't go away. At 5 feet 9 and 215 pounds, Lau is athletic (35-inch vertical jump), strong (bench presses 385 pounds) and a sure tackler.

"He's our best run-stopper," Kafentzis said. "He takes on the fullback the best out of anybody. This guy is a sleeper."

Of his tackling skills, Lau said, "I'm shorter, so I can get leverage on them."

When the Warriors switched to a 3-4 scheme last year, Jerry Glanville's first as UH defensive coordinator, Lau was aligned on the right side. Now he is comfortable on both sides.

Lau has earned the nickname, "Nat-Nat." It started with the phrase "like you know that" and, he said, "it evolved into Nat-Nat. Everybody calls me that now."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.