Quotes from the Star-Advertiser (feature on Po'okela Ahmad)

About his mother being told in September 2009 that she was approved for a house on Hawaiian homestead land and they moved into the Kapolei house this summer, Po'okela Ahmad said:
"My mom waited, like, 30 years. She said it was a blessing to see how God works. She said it was a reward for patience." (HSA)


About how they had lived in a townhouse most of his life, Ahmad said:
"Living in a house is cool. Every weekend, I come home and do housework. I'm helping to put a yard in. It's fun. It's a great adventure." (HSA)


About Ahmad, who has been practicing as a 1st-team LB when they are in their 45 defense, Dave Aranda said:
"Po'okela is bright. He understands defenses. He's a good coverage backer. He's improved in his skills. He's a guy who's very dependable." (HSA)


HSA Note: "Ahmad, a 2006 Kapolei High graduate, originally signed as a grayshirt. The plan was for Ahmad to pay his way as a part-time student in the fall of 2006, then join the Warriors in January 2007."


About being told that because his bad grades he would not be able to join the team until summer 2007, and only if his grades improved before then, Ahmad said:
"Basically, after that, you have two choices: You can take it as a blessing and learn from it and work harder, or you can fall down and blame the world for it.My mom and my family were supporting me. I started working hard in class and studying harder." (HSA)


HSA Note: "Ahmad improved enough to be welcomed to the team in June 2007. He now is on track to earn a bachelor's degree in December. With two seasons of eligibility remaining, he hopes to begin work toward a master's degree in January."


Happy that the coaches gave him a second chance, Ahmad said:
"Thankfully, the coaches gave me another shot. I learned a lot about time management." (HSA)


About how they are looking for fast and athletic players for special teams because of the new NCAA rule that eliminates wedge blocking, Chris Tormey said:
"We're going to see a lot more man blocking skills. It's going to come down to your man in space. You have to be a really good athlete to play in space." (HSA)


HSA Note" "UH has spent two periods of every practice working on one-on-one blocking drills on kick returns. One drill is the Warrior challenge, involving three blockers from the return team and three from the kickoff unit. All six players start the drill on their backs. At the whistle, they spring to their feet and engage in a one-on-one session. Starting from a ground position, Tormey said, prevents players from getting a running start."


About the emphasis on speed on special teams due to the no-wedge rule, Tormey said:
"We're going to see more speed across the board. That's an emphasis for us, too. We're going to get the best athletes, teach them the fundamentals, and, hopefully, put a competitive team on the field." (HSA)


About how 4 first-year Warriors (Sterling Jackson, Darryl McBride, Siaki Cravens and John Hardy-Tuliau) have been impressive on the kickoff units, Tormey said:
"Those are four guys in the mix we didn't have last year. They're athletes, and we're trying to put as many good athletes out there as we can." (HSA)


About how he lost weight to get down to 315, Kainoa LaCount said:
"I watched what I ate, and I worked out a lot." (HSA)


About how he stopped wearing a medical boot on Monday and hopes to practice next week, Aaron Brown said:
"Baby steps. You have to start somewhere." (HSA)


http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20100811_Kick-return_rules_built_for_speed.html

http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20100811_Patience_works_both_ways_for_Ahmad.html