Quotes from 12/22

Calling for UH fans to wear white at the Sugar Bowl, JJ said:
"This is something that both the UH and Georgia fans can have some fun with, and it will be unique to our game. UH fans can wear green shirts around New Orleans during the week to show their UH pride and then sport a white one at the bowl game." (UH, HSB)


UH fan Aldrin Villahermosa said that he and his friends had already:
"spent a ton of money on Warrior green attire and Warrior gear" that they were going to wear to the game." (HSB)

Told that JJ requested the white-out, Villahermosa said:
"(White) is not our color. I don't know why Coach Jones would make that decision. After all, he's the one that turned us into black and green. It's all about solidarity. It's the only way we can get this thing going. It was this year that proved that the fans are the 12th man on the field." (HSB)

About how he'll meet with his group of 38 going to the Sugar Bowl and decide on the color they will wear in the SuperDome, Villahermosa said:
"I guess we'll end up meeting them in the middle and wear double shirts of green and white." (HSB)


About the $338 in cash for per diem (plus a Sugar watch) they received yesterday, Ray Hisatake said:
"It feels good. For some guys, this is a ticket home." (HA)

About the cash, RGM said:
"It's not bad. It's good money. I'll take it. It's free. Actually, we worked for it. We worked hard." (HA)

HA Note: "Qualifying for a postseason bowl is one of the few times a school can provide extra services for players. During the regular season, for instance, a non-scholarship player must pay for a training-table breakfast. As part of the bowl preparation, the breakfast buffet is free to all team members."

About how he spends $109 per month for meals not covered under his scholarship, Kealoha Pilares said that without help from his family:
"I don't know what I'd be doing. I'd be starving." (HA)

HA Note: "He said he will use the money to buy Christmas presents. Defensive end Nate Russell, who is not on scholarship, has worked as a security guard and a weight-room assistant to pay for tuition and living expenses. He has received grants, and taken out loans. Russell said the money comes in handy, but it was not his motivation."

About walking on to UH, Russell said:
"I'm playing for the love of the sport. Actually, it's a dream. Coming from a junior college, I knew I could play on the Division I level, and I can. I'm still on the team. I'm on the roster. I'm contributing in practice. It's worth it. We're going to the Sugar Bowl." (HA)


Grasso already has spent $10,000 on tuition, room and board, and expenses. He estimated it would take another $8,000 to pay for the spring semester.
About they $10k he has already spent to pay for his UH expenses and the $8k he would have to spend in the spring semester before a scholarship came available in the Fall, Tim Grasso said:
"That's 18 (thousand). When you're a 20-year-old kid, it's not the greatest thing in the world." (HA)

HA Note: "But Grasso learned of a one-time exemption that would allow him to take off a semester. To be eligible for the following season, a player needs to earn 24 credit hours during the current academic year. Grasso earned 19 credits this fall, while maintaining a 3.4 grade-point average. He could fulfill the remaining requirements by passing two summer-session classes in July. Grasso said his post-Sugar Bowl plan is to travel to Salt Lake City, which is a short drive from his family home in Kaysville, Utah. He said he will spend the spring semester in Kaysville, then work out in a punting camp in June. After that, he will enroll in UH's second summer session."

About taking a "sabattical" during the Spring, Grasso said:
"Financially, it's smarter for me. [Missing] spring ball will be fine. We don't do a whole bunch of punting." (HA)

HA Note: "Grasso said he has met with the UH compliance officer and a counselor."


About how Grasso is still bothered by the torn hamstring he suffered before the season, though he still has a black and blue mark on the back of his right leg and pain when he kicks, snapper Jake Ingram said:
"I think it's still bothering him a little bit. He's got a big bruise on his leg, but he got the job done for us. I'm proud of him." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Grasso said he could only punt 10 times a day in practice the first month of the season (instead of his usual 40), when he had a 10-inch-long, 4-inch-wide bruise signifying a torn hamstring that a doctor said required at least four weeks off. Grasso ignored the medical advice."

About why he ignored the medical advice, Grasso said:
"I shouldn't have played on it. But I worked hard to be here, turned down scholarships to do so. This season is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and I wasn't going to let a hamstring ruin it. It affected my season --the first part of the year I couldn't even touch my knee when I'm trying to touch my toes." (HSB)

About halftime at the UNLV game, where he and 3 notable teammates received medical treatment, Grasso said:
"Colt (Brennan) got hurt. Jason's (Rivers) back was bothering him and Davone (Bess) had something going on. We were all in with the hot packs doing physical therapy, and I thought, this is why I'm here. I was in there with the superstars. Even they suck it up and play hurt." (HSB)


About leaving for Colorado tomorrow to spend Christmas with his family, Colt talked about his sister who may be having her baby any day now:
"Hopefully, she has the baby before I get there. If not, she might have it on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve." (HA)


About how the fans (and even their security guards) have still been getting autographs from them despite the practices being closed, Colt said:
"It's OK. But it's just been crazy, and we can't get away from it." (HSB)

About practicing with the first team, Bess said:
"It went good." (HSB)


About his limited role to start the season, Josh Leonard said:
"When I came here I obviously wanted to play. The first couple of games I didn't see as much play time as I'd like. Then the coaches saw the versatility that I had and started using me in pass rush situations, in the nick' package and the Okie packages." (HSB)

HSB Note: "He made several big plays toward the end of the season, including recovering a fumble caused by John Fonoti to clinch UH's victory over Boise State on Nov. 23. It was one of a team-high three fumble recoveries. He also blocked a field-goal try in the third quarter of the Dec. 1 win against Washington."

About how he's adjusted to DT after being a DE in Sacramento City College, Josh said:
"Pretty much locked in at tackle now. You get more contact, which I like." (HSB)


About the striped socks he wears, Inoke said:
"Nobody buys 'em except for me." (HSB)

About his calf socks with green stripes over knee-highs with red stripes that he wore yesterday, Inoke said:
"The Christmas Spirit." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Or the Krisha Spirit. The high socks were a gift from former UH soccer player Krisha Kai, Funaki's classmate at Kahuku."