Spring Practice Quotes after the first day in pads

After they finished their 2-hour practice, the first with pads and contact, John Fonoti said:
"Feels hella good. I can't wait until we get more contact." (HA)

About their contact at practice, Cal Lee said:
"I always thought football was a contact sport. If you don't make contact, you're not playing the game." (HA)

HA Note: "The contact was limited yesterday — there was no "live" tackling — but the Warriors were instructed to practice at full speed."

About limiting the contact, Mack said:
"We had to talk about the rules. We don't want to hurt anybody ... practice pro style." (HA)

HA Note: "The most contact came during one-on-one drills between the offensive and defensive linemen. The offensive linemen tried to pass protect; the defensive linemen tried to rush an imaginary passer. Not surprisingly, each side claimed victory."

Claiming the DL beat the OL, David Veikune said:
"I think you have to give a little edge to the defense. But the offense has a lot of new guys, and they're the ones who have to read us, so we probably should be ahead right now." (HA)

HA Note: "Several of the veteran defensive linemen were impressive yesterday, including Fonoti, Veikune and Keala Watson."

About how practicing in pads is a good way for their young players to get experience, Keala Watson said:
"This is the kind of stuff you can't do in the offseason — going full speed with pads on. It was good for the young guys to get into it and get that game experience, and good for the returning guys to stay ahead of the game." (HA)

About how they are deep at the DL, Cal Lee said:
"We definitely want to use a lot of guys on the (defensive) line, provided we have the people who can play without a dropoff. The way it looks now, we feel like we have several guys who can contribute. That will help us keep guys fresh." (HA)

HA note: "The Warriors have new defensive line coaches this season in Dave Aranda and Ikaika Malloe. Because of that, even the returning players feel like they are newcomers this spring."

About how their two new DL coaches make them all fight to establish themselves now, Keala said:
"Coach Malloe and coach Aranda told us that spring ball is going to be used to evaluate the players. There are no starters right now, and it could change every day. That means you have to go all out every play." (HA)

Claiming that the OL won the drills vs. the DL, Keoni Steinhoff said:
"I would say it was a tie, but that's like a win for us because we have younger guys on offense. If we can compete with the defense every day, that's only going to make us better. Our (defensive) front seven is one of the best in the nation, so we have to work hard to keep up." (HA)

HA Note: "Guard Lafu Tuioti-Mariner and tackle Ray Hisatake drew praise from McMackin. Hisatake even got a high-five from the head coach after one of the drills. After the one-on-one drills, the offensive and defensive linemen greeted each other with hugs and high-fives."

About how they show respect to their teammates before and after the drills, Keala said:
"That's what coach (McMackin) brings to the practice field — he always stresses 'ohana.' Before we started, he told us what to do and what not to do. We all have to give 100 percent, but you have to respect your teammates. That's why you didn't see any cheap shots, nothing like that." (HA)

About their ohana, Steinhoff said:
"There's always going to be that offense versus defense thing, but in the end, we're one big family and we have to look out for each other. We all respect each other." (HA)

HA Note: "After the one-on-one drills, the offensive and defensive units met at midfield for an 11-on-11 session — without the tackling. The projected starters and reserves shared equal time on both sides of the ball."

About how there was no tackling in the 11-on-11 session, Veikune said:
"That's when I wanted to get in some real hits. So I'm kind of bummed about that. But it was still good just to get that feeling of hitting, period. Today was a good day." (HA)

HSB Note: "The word is Hawaii will run the ball more in 2008 after losing its starting quarterback and all four receivers. But the Warriors didn't show it in yesterday's first offense against defense team drills of spring practice at the lower campus practice field. UH ran 15 plays, and six quarterbacks combined to complete seven of 10 passes, with No. 1 Inoke Funaki completing both attempts and top contender Tyler Graunke going 2-for-4. Slotbacks caught five of them: Jon Medeiros (two), Aaron Bain (two) and Mike Washington. Wideout Dylan Linkner caught the other two."

Happy with how the offense did yesterday, Mack said:
"I thought both sides of the ball came out and worked real hard. The offensive timing is way ahead of where I thought it was. I thought the quarterbacks were throwing well. I think we're all standing a little too high, which is natural when you're just getting the pads on. But the hustle is really good, the effort was good." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Defensive end John Fonoti provided a highlight by batting down a pass. Linebacker Solomon Elimimian was a force in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11, using just enough force to make his presence felt, but without injuring teammates."

About restraining himself in the drills against the offense, Sol Elimimian said:
"Coach is emphasizing fast and hard, but we're not out here trying to hurt our teammates,. We're just trying to get everybody better and increase the intensity. Not trying to kill anybody." (HSB)

About how the offense got a confidence boost after their performance, Inoke said:
"It was better than a lot of people were thinking we would do, especially because our defense has so many good players returning. It's the strong point of our team. I think our offense is believing in itself now since we made some plays against a good defense. Maybe we're better than what people are thinking we are." (HSB)

About their first day in pads, Rocky Savaiigaea said:
"We haven't put on the pads since the Sugar Bowl, so just coming back out you feel like you're back in football again,. One-on-ones is the best part. Football's a team sport, but when you go one-on-one, it's you and the O-lineman and that's it, you're representing for your line and for your defense." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Savaiigaea was tough to stop throughout the period, bulling his way through his blocker on several occasions as the defense got the best of the action early on. The offense had its moments later on, with Clayton Laurel, a redshirt freshman from Leilehua, and Lafu Tuioti-Mariner holding their ground in their duels."

Praising Clayton Laurel, OL coach Brian Smith said:
"As far as a young guy goes, Clayton Laurel's got some real good feet and did a good job. He's just got to get a lot more physical. He's got a ways to go in development, but he's one that stuck out to me as a kid that has a chance to be a really good football player." (HSB)

HSB Note: "David Garness, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive lineman from Anchorage, Alaska, said he intends to join the Warriors as a grayshirt walk-on next spring. Garness, who has received all-state acclaim at Bartlett High School, also considered UNLV and New Mexico. He and his father, Jeff Garness, have visited practice a couple of times."

About watching the Warriors practice, David Garness said:
"I wanted to put some pads on and get out there." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Senior running back Dave Farmer said he expects to return "probably next week." He rolled an ankle last Wednesday in warm-up drills. Incumbent center John Estes was held out yesterday to rest a tight hamstring. Freshman Austin Hansen worked with the first unit in his place. Junior Laupepa Letuli, a contender to be a starting offensive lineman in the fall, also remains out with a tender hamstring."

About holding Estes out of practice for now, Brian Smith said:
"(Estes) needs the work, but we're better off keeping him healthy and getting that work in later than pushing him too hard right now." (HSB)

About sitting out of practice, Estes said:
"It wouldn't make sense to go hard today and end up out for the entire spring." (HSB)

About how he started lifting weights at home when he was in middle school, R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane said:
"In the back of my house there was a small bench rack and just some weights my uncle and my dad left." (HSB)

HSB Note: "The youngster's appetite for lifting grew in proportion with the weight he began throwing around, hitting the 400-pound mark on the bench in his senior year of high school."

About R.J.'s amazing workouts, his football coach at Aiea, Wendell Say said:
"I think a lot of the kids were in awe of his workouts." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Kiesel-Kauhane's daily devotion to lifting continued when he enrolled at Hawaii in 2005, where he now ranks among the strongest Warriors with a bench press of 455 pounds. But the numbers, as impressive as they may be, aren't what drives him into the weight room, whether on campus or back home."

About how he lifts to be able to get playing time, R.J. said:
"The main reason I lift is just to get on the playing field." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Though still playing behind a heralded group of Warriors linebackers, the fourth-year junior appears headed in that direction. Kiesel-Kauhane was a special-teams fixture last season and has been running with the second unit at outside linebacker so far this spring. He got some reps with the first team yesterday morning when the Warriors went 11-on-11 for the first time in spring practice."

About how their experienced LBs allow them to rotate in some younger players like R.J., Cal Lee said:
"I feel real confident with the linebackers we have, with the experience that they bring that we can do a lot more rotating and not have our level of competition drop. We have to put guys like that, who are big, strong, athletic, in the game. I don't see any problem putting him in there." (HSB)

Instead of being upset that their LB starters are so good and make it hard to get playing time, R.J. thinks about his situations as:
"a privilege to work with some of the best linebackers in the country. I'm just trying to get better myself so I can get time to play." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Along with topping the Warriors' strength tests, Kiesel-Kauhane displayed some mental fortitude in winning the "wall sit" during the team's Super Games competition last month. Each player had his back against a wall with his thighs parallel to the ground and a 45-pound plate in his lap; Kiesel-Kauhane was the last to give out."

Praising R.J., Sol said:
"He's probably our strongest linebacker, bar none. He's worked really hard and plays with passion. Guys like R.J. and Tyson (Kafentzis), they're going to be playing. We're deep enough where the second team can get in. And God forbid someone gets hurt, R.J. has to be ready to come in. And we're still competing. It's not like me, Adam and Blaze think we have the jobs locked up. We're all competing and trying to get better in spring practice." (HSB)

About how R.J. has always worked hard, his Aiea teammate Rocky Savaiigaea said:
"R.J.'s always had that gift, but he knows gifts are only so much, he has that hard-work mentality also. In high school people really don't train, it's kind of just raw ability. ... He was the one who would push me in high school and he started getting me into the weights." (HSB)

HSB Note: "The two have been close from the sixth grade through their careers at Aiea and UH, though their personalities are on opposite ends of the chart. Where Savaiigaea is one of the Warriors' more outspoken characters, Kiesel-Kauhane prefers to blend into the background."

About R.J.'s personality, Savaiigaea said:
"Away from the field you'll barely hear him talk until you get to know him. It's not that he's stuck up or anything, he's just a humble guy." (HSB)

Hoping to serve as an example for their younger players, R.J. said:
"It's just good to see people from Aiea make it this far and try to set a standard for our school that the guys back where I came from can do it too." (HSB)