Tommy Kaulukukui

Wes Nakama writes about the life of local sports and UH legend Tommy Kaulukukui.

Thomas Kaulukukui, a legendary multisport athlete who was the first University of Hawai'i football player to earn All-America honors, died yesterday morning at his daughter's Kailua home.

He turned 94 in January.

"He passed peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family," said his son, Thomas Ka-ulukukui Jr. "You could not ask for anything more."

...

At the Coliseum in November 1935, the 5-foot-4, 145-pound Kaulukukui received a UCLA kickoff three yards deep in his end zone and took it all the way for a touchdown. The Rainbows lost, 19-6, but Kaulukukui's performance impressed legendary sports writer Grantland Rice, who gave him the nickname "Grass Shack."

Rice's praise of Kaulukukui is believed to have led to his being named to the All-American Board of Football team.

Kalani Simpson remembers him as well, and has a great anecdote.

Of all the stories about that great run, maybe this is the best: In the late '70s, Thomas Jr. was helping coach the Kailua JV. He asked his father about the kick return, and Tommy Kaulukukui grabbed a napkin, drew it up. Thomas Jr. told his team the story of that run against UCLA, put in the play. Promised steak dinners if the Surfriders ever scored. That very week, an 88-yard TD.

In eight games, they scored kick-return touchdowns three times.

That play just kept growing through the years.

The way the boy who was too small to play football just kept growing, too.

All the kids that he coached. All the lives that he touched.

"We're talking about services," Thomas Jr. said. "We're trying to find a place big enough."

Read the articles to see how great he was, both on and off the field.