Former Oregon State commits will play in Corvallis for the Warriors

About how he committed to Oregon State in 2006, Mana Lolotai said:
"Out of high school I kind of wanted to get away, and Oregon State was my option, so I signed with them." (HA)

About how he enrolled at Hawaii Pacific after he didn't qualify academically and then joined the Warriors in 2007, Lolotai (whose wife Shaela and 2-year-old daughter Zaiah live in Hawaii) said:
"Everything worked out to where I could stay home. It was easier for me and my family. It was a better transition than if I was to leave. If I was to do the Oregon State route, I would have been gone when my wife gave birth." (HA)

About the recruits that Oregon State has been getting from Hawaii, OL coach Brian Smith said:
"There are a lot of Hawai'i ties; being in the Pacific Northwest there's a lot of Polynesian people there. Oregon State has done a good job with recruiting Hawai'i. We've had some real good games against them in the past eight, nine years. And I guess that's kind of helped develop a little bit of a rivalry." (HA)

About how he redshirted at Oregon State in 2006 before family obligations brought him back to Hawaii, Mana Silva (whose wife Keilah and 15-month-old son Kauahe live in Hawaii) said:
"It's going to be different from playing at Aloha Stadium." (HA)

Silva said that during the games the Oregon State students:
"are going crazy. They never sit down, they are always standing up. When I went there for my (recruiting) visit, it was good and the atmosphere was good, but I came back for my family." (HA)

About how Corvallis has a lot of good student and community support for the OSU team, Silva said:
He said Corvallis, Ore., features a lot of good student and community support.
"That's all they have to do out there so they all come to the games." (HA)