Combine Update: Vids: 40s, drills

Much Mahalos to LizK who is catching some of our Warriors' runs and drills at the combine. Also keep checking Stephen Tsai's Warrior Beat blog for more updates.

Here's some of her videos:
Greg Salas:




Alex Green:



She also has a few more. Please check out her youtube channel for the others.
Thanks again LizK!

Combine Update: Bench press

Keep checking Stephen Tsai's Warrior Beat for the most up to date info from Indianapolis. Today was bench press day for our former Warriors. Check his blog for their lift counts.
Also with the return of the Arena Football League, other former Warriors are making their presence felt.

Ray Hisatake, Aaron Kia and Francis Maka are members of the San Jose SaberCats, who return after a two-season hiatus.

NFL Scouting combine LIVE

Thanks to LizK for finding this. For those of you that don't have the NFL Network (which is most of you Hawaii Oceanic folks), you can watch the NFL Combine LIVE via their website. Multiple cameras and their schedule of events are listed on the page. Thanks again LizK!

Spring practice schedule

Mr Tsai from the Star Advertiser releases the spring practice schedule. They should be open to the public if you have time to go on down to lower campus to take a look at next year's team.

Also on March 11th, will be their annual coach's clinic for local coaches.

The UH football team's clinic/social for coaches will be Friday, March 11, starting at 6:30 p.m. It will follow UH's second practice of spring training. (The clinic/social previously was scheduled for March 12.)
All of the Warrior football coaches will be available for group sessions to discuss strategies and techniques.
The fee is $20, and includes refreshments. For details, call (808) 956-6508.

Catchup

not ketchup. since tombo is a busy ahi, i'll try to recap the last few weeks of articles in one post. it'll be brief, but not like tighty whiteys. maybe all these lame jokes will make tombo return sooner to edit them out....

A Heisman prediction site lists Bryant Moniz as a dark horse in this upcoming year's Heisman race.

Moniz, who will be a senior, is the only player from teams that will be in the Western Athletic Conference in 2011 to make the list and one of 14 quarterbacks.

The Star-Advertiser reports that ESPN says our offense was the most "explosive" last season.

Here's some coverage of the hiring of former UH, UA & SJSU head coach Dick Tomey as the new special teams coach for the Warriors. Take your Tomey quiz here.

And always keep on top of the latest news at Stephen Tsai's Warrior Beat. Here's some scoops on the happenings of former Warriors Alex Green, Kealoha Pilares, Mana Silva, Laupepa Letuli, Kainoa LaCount, & Spencer Smith and Greg Salas.

Much more news this coming weekend after the NFL Scouting combine.

Profiles of New Warriors

Ben Wilgus of the Martinez News-Gazette profiles several Alhambra HS students, including UH signees Trevor Davis and Jared Leaf, who signed with colleges last week.

“Hawaii’s been my favorite school and they also have one of the top 25 business schools in the country,” Leaf said.
Leaf is planning on getting a double major in business, specifically in sports management or marketing and also major in graphic design.
“They have great coaches, great facilities and great food. The best part is I’m going with my best friend,” Leaf said.

“They are the number one passing team in the country,” Davis said.
Davis said he will study business and really liked the guys on the football team and the coaches at Hawaii.
“Colorado State really wanted me to go, but I gave an honest commitment to Hawaii,” Davis said.

Dion Rabouin of Culver City Patch profiles incoming defensive back Ijumaa Armstrong.

At Hawaii, he plans to play cornerback and work into the team’s defensive rotation as a nickelback. He said he made the decision to go to Hawaii because of the coaching staff and the school’s relaxed atmosphere.

“It started with the coaches, and how honest they were,” Armstrong said. “They were telling me the truth about coming and playing in the program. Their environment is real relaxing and peaceful, not all corporal like most places are.”

Donovan Aird of the San Luis Obispo Tribune profiles incoming linebacker Tyler Gray.

At first, Gray and his parents were a bit hesitant about leaving the mainland, but after his trip, any such qualms about the long distance away from home faded in light of everything the Warriors’ program had to offer.
“I had the best time on my trip,” Gray said. “I got along with people really well. I felt like I was part of the team by the time I left.”

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Gray will likely be placed at the Warriors’ joker position, Harper said, “where he’ll be rushing from either side depending on what the play call was in the huddle.”

Before signing day, Paul Valencia of The Columbian profiled receiver Ellis Henderson.

“I’ve been to Hawaii three times. I just love it down there,” Henderson said. “And when I actually got down there for football, the way they treated me was amazing. A light would go on, or a spark, that would say this is where I was meant to be. I’m laid back, and the culture is pretty laid back. The coaches would ask me how my life was, not just football. I liked that.”

Mason Kelly of The Seattle Times profiled Kendrick Van Ackeren.

The 6-foot-2 senior said Hawaii has been recruiting him from the beginning. When he first announced his commitment recently he said the news was well received on the blogs and message boards that cover the Warriors.

"I definitely appreciate what they (Hawaii) offered me," Van Ackeren said. "But, more than that, it's the feel I got from them. I feel the love from down there. Even though I'm not there yet, through the blogs and things like that, I can see that they really want me."

UH to play Navy in 2013 and 2015

Via HawaiiAthletics.com:

University of Hawai‘i Athletics Director Jim Donovan announced a two-year football contract with the Naval Academy during the 2013 and 2015 seasons.

The teams will play Nov. 9, 2013 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium inAnnapolis, Md., and Nov. 28, 2015 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

“I’ve very pleased to be able to continue our football playing relationship with the Naval Academy,” Donovan said. “Obviously with the rich Naval presence in the islands and Pearl Harbor serving as a backdrop to Aloha Stadium, we have a special association with this academy. It will be a great experience for our student-athletes to play in Annapolis much like it was at West Point last year.”

P.S. I'm not seeing the previously-announced 2013 and 2014 Oregon State games on HawaiiAthletics.com's future schedules page, so the 2013 Navy game could be a replacement. I'm also not seeing any future UNLV games past next year, which makes sense since those will now be conference games.

New Warriors

Stephen Tsai writes about the players who signed with UH yesterday.

Defensive end Craig Cofer of Grossmont College signed his papers, then faxed them before heading to classes.

In an elaborate ceremony in Waikiki, All-State linebacker Justin Vele of Farrington High was the Warriors' lone recruit.

In Vancouver, Wash., a school assembly was held as receiver Ellis Henderson of Skyview High signed his UH letter.

Slotback Chinedu Amadi, who goes by his middle name, Promise, said it was a lifelong dream to earn a football scholarship.

"I'm excited about going to Hawaii," he said.

Jaymes Song of the AP has a signing day wrap-up.

The class includes 13 from California, five from Hawaii, two from Washington, one from Ohio and others from as far away as Australia, New Zealand and American Samoa. McMackin said three-quarters of the group could find playing time this season.

"Of the players we visited and offered, we got 80 percent of them," McMackin said. "If you're at 30 percent, 40 percent, you're pretty good. But we're at 80 percent."

I've also updated my unofficial roster to reflect the new signees. Still unsure about some previous greyshirts, walk-ons, etc. but it'll sort itself out with spring on the way.

Welcome to the Warriors!

Tombo will have a follow up post with all of our recruits, but until then, here's tonight's news covering our new Warrior football players!

LOI Day / Mike Edwards, Tigi Hill and Ben Mamea Commit

Today is signing day, when recruits can sign their letters-of-intent and make their commitments binding. Stephen Tsai's Warrior Beat will have the latest news throughout the day. As usual, SportsHawaii.com and WSN will have the reaction from fans. Exciting day!

UPDATE: HawaiiAthletics.com has a Signing Day Central page which has bios of the players who have signed. They'll also stream a live press conference with Coach Greg McMackin at 2:00pm HST. Be there!

Tsai writes about three big names who made their commitments known yesterday.

In a frenetic finish to the dotted line, the Hawaii football team secured oral commitments from a former four-star cornerback who played at Tennessee as a freshman and two all-state players from Kahuku High.

Mike Edwards, a cornerback from Ohio, and Red Raiders safety Tigi Hill and linebacker Ben Mamea promised they will put their commitments in writing today, the first day recruits may sign binding national letters of intent.

"I'm going to be a Warrior," Edwards said. "I'm going to sign with Hawaii. No doubt about it."

Congrats to the future Warriors!

Salas at Senior Bowl

Sorry kinda late, but here's a few quick clips from the Senior Bowl.

Penitito Faalologo and Craig Cofer Commit to UH

Stephen Tsai writes that they will become Warriors.

Craig Cofer, who played under former UH defensive tackle Lui Fuga at San Diego's Grossmont College, said he will sign a letter of intent with the Warriors tomorrow, the first day football recruits may put their commitments in writing.

Cofer's pledge comes a few days after Penitito Faalologo, a senior at Fagaitua High, accepted a football scholarship from the Warriors.

Cofer completed his 48-hour UH recruiting trip on Sunday.

"I love the weather, and the beach, and the family aspect," Cofer said.

Faalologo will sign with UH tomorrow morning, then play in the U.S. vs. The World all-star game in Austin, Texas, that night, according to his coach, Pooch Taase.

Taase said Faalologo is 6 feet 1, 220 pounds, and can run 40 yards in under 4.7 seconds.

Congrats to Penitito and Craig!