Feature on Maui Warriors Andrew Faaumu and Kaniela Tuipulotu

MN = Maui News


About how he faces his cousin Kaniela sometimes in practice, Andrew Faaumu said:
"Oh yeah, we have met up a few times. Always before, it used to be him - he got the better of me - but he helped me out and now it is pretty much up and up. He gets pretty low for a big guy and it is always fun going up against him." (MN)


Asked which cousin wins their 1-on-1 matchups in practice, Kaniela Tuipulotu chuckled and said:
"Automatic, me." (MN)


About how his cousin helps him get better, Tuipulotu said:
"(Faaumu) has been in this program for a while and he knows what needs to be done. He actually shows me I need to get in the weight room. He is real coachable and that is a real good thing. He helps me as much as I help him, no doubt." (MN)


MN Note: "Tuipulotu is making his way back to the large potential he showed as a PrepStar All-American and one of the state's top recruits in 2006 - his biography on the UH athletic website says Tuipulotu was considered "among Maui's top prospects ever." He played in seven games as a freshman at Arizona, and as a sophomore started seven times as a nose tackle. Now, after not playing in a game for a 20-month span, he is making the adjustment to a four-man front at UH."


About how Tuipulotu has a chance to make it to the NFL, DT coach Tony Tuioti said:
"He has the size and the strength to get there. If he continues to develop - remember he had to sit out a year of football and he is just now starting to get back into football form, react faster and get off blocks faster - I just see him continuing to get better and if he continues to play at a high level, who knows?  The NFL is a tricky deal when you start looking at what teams are looking for. Right now, as a junior, Kani is just trying to help us win games. Next year, if all falls into place, it is certainly a possibility. I will tell you this: He will work hard at it. He is a big guy and works extremely hard. It is hard to find those kind of guys, but the NFL is looking for those kinds of guys." (MN)


Praising Tuipulotu, Tuioti said:
"He has been everything that we hoped for. He has really been the glue to our defensive front - we have some talented young guys there and he helps them every day in practice." (MN)


About how playing in the NFL is his dream, Tuipulotu said:
"You know, I think that is every college football player's dream. If that is not your dream, I don't know what you are doing playing Division I college football. I am just trying to live the dream when I am done with college." (MN)


About how representing the state of Hawaii by playing for UH, Faaumu said:
"I have grown a lot since I have been around this team - they made me feel like this is my family from the beginning. To be able to play for Hawaii, represent the state of Hawaii, is a dream come true. Every week my family comes up to support me and I have got family on the Mainland, too. My dad (Tivoli Faaumu) comes to every home game and my sister, Kaulana, too.  My mom (Kehau Faaumu) gets to see my games on the Mainland. She drives from Las Vegas to every Mainland game - the only one she has missed this year was at Army. She was at every Mainland game last year." (MN)


About how having Tuipulotu on the team has helped him, Faaumu said:
"Having him on the team helps me a lot, keeping me from being homesick. Even though Maui is only a couple of hours away, having him on the team is big for me. It is always nice to have family on the team, especially being that we grew up around each other - being able to talk story and all that." (MN)


About how Tuipulotu's parents Taniela and Penny Guth-Tuipulotu come to UH's home games, Kaniela said:
"They have already been to more games this season than in my two years at Arizona. It is a real fun thing having family on the team for support. Andrew's older brother (Kahale Faaumu) goes here, too. Our dads are first cousins, so when the dad guys fly up, they are always taking me out to eat and stuff like that. It is just good having family around you on a constant basis." (MN)


About how he left Arizona for UH because he knew he had to sit out a year anyway due to his triceps injury, Tuipulotu said:
"Oh yeah, definitely, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Going away made me realize that. I got caught up in the recruiting hype. I got caught up in the hype with Mainland coaches, being one of the main guys. I have a lot of lifelong friends that I have made here in a year and a half. It just wasn't like that in Arizona." (MN)


About the bond their two players from Maui have, Tuipulotu said:
"Anytime you have somebody from the same island, it is a special bond between the two. Andrew, he is such a great kid, a happy-go-lucky attitude. Maybe that is the Maui attitude - every day is a joy and a blessing to both of them. They just bring a good spirit to the team, both of these guys are great assets to the program." (MN)

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