Feature story on Dave Aranda

RDF = Redlands Daily Facts

About Dave Aranda's love for football, his father Paul Aranda said:
"He's a football guy 24/7. He just loves it. He's gone to a lot of pro camps and has been all over the place. He's always looking to learn." (RDF)

About how the head coach at Redlands High School influenced his life, Dave Aranda said:
"Coach (Jim) Walker was a big influence on me. You could just see how he motivates people with his one-on-one talks. He was great at taking you off to the side and you could tell he cared about you and that you were important to him." (RDF)

RDF Note: "A 185-pound linebacker, Aranda suffered from shoulder problems that forced him to play offensive line with his arm in a sling. After high school, Aranda attended San Bernardino Valley College for a semester before transferring to California Lutheran University, where he was a student assistant. From there, he went to Texas Tech University and worked for three years as a graduate assistant. Then it was on to the University of Houston. Aranda would return to California Lutheran as defensive coordinator before taking the same job at Delta State in Mississippi, where he led one of the top defenses in Division II in 2007. He then appeared headed to Southern Utah University before he was offered the job of defensive line coach at Hawaii."

Proud of their season at UH, Aranda said:
"It's a great school. We didn't have the best year but with everything we lost and all of the turnover, I'm very proud of what we accomplished." (RDF)

Crediting his success to the teachings from George Tesla (his OL coach) and Miguel Olmedo (Redland's current head coach), Aranda said:
"Coach Tesla was just a real gruff old-timer who was a stickler for fundamentals. He always made me do things right. And I remember the detail he would coach with and how everyone loved him. With Coach Olmedo, I took from him his drive, determination, intensity and stubbornness. I never wanted to let him down and I always wanted to do more." (RDF)

About how he always stops by the talk with his old coaches when he's back in Redlands, Aranda (who is married to his high school sweetheart) said:
"I always try to stop by and meet up with Coach Walker and Coach Olmedo. It's amazing the things they've accomplished with the RHS program and we just catch up and talk football." (RDF)