Fale Laeli, Special Teams, Questions

Jason Kaneshiro profiles defensive lineman Fale Laeli, who's been playing great while fighting through tendinitis in his knees.

The Saint Louis graduate has started all seven games this season, despite playing through a case of tendinitis that makes each snap feel "like somebody's stabbing me in the knee."

"Every game I go out there I have to dig deep, because I know my knees are messed up," he said after the Warriors' conditioning session yesterday morning. "I just have to fight through the pain. ... Every play is just brutal."

"He has tremendous strength in his lower body and his hands," defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold said. "He gets an edge of you and he's hard to deny inside because he is so strong and can push through a small crack. He's learned as a pass rusher to use the tools that God gave him."

Also from that article:

• Injury reports on Blaze Soares and Michael Lafaele


• Lafaele actually forced the fumble against SJSU, not Blaze (but Blaze still wen crush em)


• June Jones explains why Leon Wright-Jackson was held out of the SJSU game. LWJ will play vs NMSU.

Michael Tsai talks to coach Jeff Reinebold about the special teams, specifically the punt return for TD the punt coverage team gave up to SJSU.

"They couldn't move the ball as long as their arm but we gave them an opportunity to feel like they had a chance," Reinebold said.

The unit will get the chance to address its deficiencies as the team takes its first bye week.

"We've got to play better," said head coach June Jones. "Our special teams (have) got to improve."

Reinebold said the team as a whole needs to sharpen its execution as it prepares for the toughest part of its schedule.

Also from the article:

• June responds to critics of the team: "I don't think they know what they're talking about," he said. "They must never have put on a jock."


• There are only 4000 tickets left for the Boise State game!


• Blaze Soares will sit out a couple practices to let his shoulder recover.

Paul Arnett asks a bunch of questions.

And uhwarriors has this week's Na Koa lunch report up at Sportshawaii.com.