Lafaele / Ask Coach & Dan / S&Q / Paul Durham

Dave Reardon profiles Warrior senior defensive lineman Mike Lafaele. Reardon talks to Mike and his wife Teri about family and football, and to coach Jeff Reinebold, who has endless praise for "Turtle." Some excerpts:

"He's low-key. People see my name and they say, 'You have the last name of a famous person.' I'm, 'What?' It happened the other day at the hairdresser. She saw my last name and said, 'There's a real good football player with that name.' I had a big smile on my face after that," Teri Lafaele said. "A lot of people, when they find out who he is, it's weird, they're so surprised. He's not out there where people would recognize him. It's funny, they tell him, 'You're the heart of the defense.' "

Reinebold said Lafaele "was born to play defensive tackle."

"He did some things last year you don't see very often, and he showed he can play against anyone," Reinebold said. "He clubbed a center to the ground, brought him to his knees. It's sheer violence, to be honest with you."

Ouch! Great article on the "heart of the defense".

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The Warriors Haka website now has a submission form so you can Ask Coach June Jones any question you'd like.

And former UH QB Dan Robinson responds to fans questions, and praises Colt Brennan in this article:

As for Colt, in my opinion, there’s not a better quarterback out there. I went to Louisville for my dental degree, and I’ve had the chance to watch a lot of Brian Brohm. He’s pretty good, but he’s not Colt. Colt brings all the intangibles. He thinks on his feet, he makes things happen, and he’s got a great understanding of the offense. He’s running a pro offense, and man, is he accurate. I’ll be interested if June puts him under center a little more this year, rather than all shotgun, to better prepare him for the NFL. That will be something for all of us to keep your eye on. Either way, he’s got a better command of his offense than anybody else, I believe.

I believe too.

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Lanaly Cabalo of The Garden Island talks to UH coaches and players about their experience helping the kids at the Hawai‘i Speed and Quickness Football Clinic in Kauai yesterday. Here's an excerpt:

The statewide Speed and Quickness Program started seven years ago when former NFL football player and current Hawai‘i defensive line coach Rich Miano and football and volleyball head strength coach Mel DeLaura had a vision to help young athletes reach their full potential.

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“I’ve always wanted to give back to Hawai‘i,” Miano said. “When (the kids) see players like Kanoe Kamana‘o, Colt Brennan and Chad Owens, they’re more likely to listen to that message. We’re serving the Neighbor Islands with clinics they wouldn’t get otherwise.”

The article also has quotes from Colt Brennan, Ryan Grice-Mull(en)ins, and coordinator Roy Nishida.

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Cindy Luis writes about the accomplishments of former UH AD Paul Durham, who passed away Friday. From Luis' article:

Durham accomplished much in his tenure at UH, helping position the school for the eventual move from independent to Western Athletic Conference membership. He hired legendary baseball coach Les Murakami in 1971 and oversaw the "Fab Five" men's basketball team's rise to national prominence (1970-72).

And from the Advertiser staff:

In 1978 when the WAC voted to add UH, giving the school its first conference affiliation, Durham said the painstaking groundwork he had laid had paid off. "His legacy at UH was that he positioned the school for (the) major college (level) and the WAC," Yoshida said.

And finally, Kalani Simpson eulogizes Durham, with a great, heartfelt column. An excerpt:

But I remember Mr. Durham as a man who would tell you that you were his friend, who would shake your hand and pull you close. As a man who loved to make others laugh, who could make a whole room collapse, everyone in it shaking with cackles at his jokes. He made people around him feel happy and warm.

Great to read about all the good things he did for UH. Sounds like he was a great guy.