Brotherhood, the Hawai'i football team has shown, does not have to be in the blood.

It can be in spirit and emotion, and it can appear at a moment's notice, as it did the past Sunday when defensive tackle Keala Watson received a telephone message from freshman defensive tackle Vaughn Meatoga.

Meatoga's mother, Lynnette, was dying, unable to overcome her third battle with cancer.

"He sounded heartbroken on the phone," Watson said. "My heart went out to him. I knew we had to be with him."

Watson made several calls, and a little more than an hour later, a dozen Warriors were at St. Francis Liliha Medical Center.

"They came over to pray for my mom," Meatoga said. "She really liked that."

Watson said: "All he needed were people to lean on, to be there for him. I'm so glad he asked us. I told him, 'Thanks for calling us.' We're all brothers. We want to be there for each other."

Offensive lineman Ray Hisatake had met Lynnette Meatoga twice — during his recruiting trip and at the Scout Bowl for redshirts and developing players in October.

"She was part of our family," said Hisatake , who transferred from College of San Mateo in January. "We're there for each other. It was important for Vaughn to see us, just to know we're there for him. That's what we do as a team. This is why I love Hawai'i. You don't get this anywhere else."

At the hospital, the players took turns talking with Lynnette. She told them she wanted her son to focus on practicing for the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl. As a redshirt, Meatoga is allowed to practice but not play in games.

Away from her view, Meatoga's teammates gave in to their emotions.

"We all cried," Hisatake said.

On Monday, Lynnette returned to her home on Kaua'i. The next day, she passed away.

"She was a fighter," said Meatoga, noting his mother was first diagnosed with cancer when he was in the seventh grade.

She beat the disease, only it returned.

Then she beat it again.

And it returned a third time.

"Whenever anyone asked how she was doing, she'd say, 'I'm doing fine.'" Meatoga said. "She was hurting inside. She never gave up. She never let us give up. She always thought of us first."

As a Kamehameha Schools senior last year, he received offers from Washington and Boise State.

"I never told anyone but the real reason I stayed back was because I wanted to be near her," Meatoga said. "I knew she was sick."

When it was announced UH would play the Scout Bowl, Lynnette booked a flight. She sat in the downpour as Meatoga played impressively in the intrasquad scrimmage.

"It was my biggest dream to play (college football) for my mom," Meatoga said. "The Scout Bowl was the closest she got to see me play."

Watson said Lynnette knew her son would be OK.

"She was happy Vaughn was with people who loved him," Watson said. "She talked about how much Vaughn talked about us, how proud she was of Vaughn."

Meatoga's father, Kenneth said: "Those are a real good bunch of boys on the team. My wife won't have to worry about him."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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