Feature on Inoke Funaki

About how he might be moved to RB or slotback in the spring, Inoke said:
"Maybe (the coaches) feel with my athleticism, they could use me elsewhere,. Maybe they don't want me sitting on the side. ... I expressed it to coach (Greg McMackin): 'If you want me to move, that's fine. If you want me to stay and battle it out and try to get better and push the competition, I'll do that, too.' I want to contribute to the team." (HA)

About how Alexander is doing a great job in their offense, Inoke said:
"He's really running the offense. When I came on (at quarterback), they tweaked things, adjusted things for me because of certain things that weren't my strengths and certain things that were my strengths. He's been a better fit for the offense. He's really come a long way." (HA)

HA Note: "But McMackin has said Funaki is a "playmaker" who needs to be on the field. Funaki averages more than one broken tackle per non-sack scramble this season."

About changing positions, Inoke said:
"I'd have to get used to it. It's a different kind of running between being a running back and a scrambling quarterback. Maybe I could be a scrambling receiver? Honestly, I'm open to suggestions. If the coaches feel I can be of use, even if it's moving to this position to do some kind of a block or something, I'm not complaining." (HA)

About how he suggested switching away from QB when he returned from his 2-year church mission, Inoke said to Dan Morrison:
"If you want me to move to another position, really, I don't mind. It's your decision." (HA)

About how Jerry Glanville suggested he switch to strong safety in 2006, Inoke said:
"I can't tackle. The last person I probably tackled was my brother, when we were little kids playing in the living room. I've never played defense before. I can hit the books — sometimes." (HA)

About earning his psychology degree after 8 semesters at UH, Inoke said:
"Just taking care of business, man." (HA)

About how he wants to be a professor at BYU-Hawaii like his Dad, Inoke said:
"My dream is to teach at BYU-Hawai'i. I loved being in La'ie. I always saw myself living there. I'd see my dad walk to school, come home, do his thing, never really having to leave that bubble. I like that idea. If I worked at BYU-Hawai'i, it's close to home." (HA)

Appreciating that the coaches are letting him pursue a graduate degree next year, Inoke said:
"They're helping me out with school." (HA)

Inoke said that playing football is:
"my way of giving back." (HA)

About how the water level in his family's house was a few inches high during Thursday's storm, Inoke said:
"It was getting close to where the socket level was." (HA)

Inoke said that family members raised:
"everything when the water level was getting high. They lifted things up so there wouldn't be too much damage." (HA)

About how it was fortunate that there was a cement base underneath the carpet, Inoke said:
"We're not that rich to be having nice wood floors." (HA)

After the flooding Inoke went around the neighborhood and said that it:
looked like everyone was having a garage sale. Everybody brought their stuff to the side of the road to throw away or air out." (HA)

About how his family members rested on Tongan mats while things were drying, Inoke said:
"My dad was sleeping on the ground. They looked like refugees." (HA)

UH DL Tuika Tufaga also lives in La'ie and said that the:
"whole community came out and helped each other. We put sandbags by everybody's doors. We pulled out furniture. After that, the bodyboards came out, and the football came out. Everybody was playing tackle football in the rain. Instead of cars, you saw people in kayaks. It turned into something positive." (HA)