Feature story on Jordan Monico

About the big hits he has been making on special teams, Jordan Monico said:
"Because you don't go in too much on offense, you have to use all your energy somehow. When you hit someone hard, you get this adrenaline rush like you know you popped them. You pump your teammates up and the crowd likes seeing big hits." (HSA)


HSA Note: "Monico was credited with three tackles on kickoff returns in Hawaii's lopsided win over Charleston Southern last week, twice pinning the Buccaneers inside the 20-yard line, and has 10 special teams tackles in four games."


HSA Note: "He's now a member of all four coverage and return units, including a kickoff team that ranks ninth in the FBS by holding opponents to 17.16 yards per return entering Saturday's Western Athletic Conference game against Louisiana Tech at Aloha Stadium."


Praising Jordan Monico, special teams coordinator Chris Tormey said:
"We were having trouble blocking him on our kickoff return. He understands football, fits in the right place, has really good size (6-foot-0 and 235 pounds), and he can run. He's a very good tackler. He wraps up and brings his feet on his tackles, runs through contact." (HSA)


HSA Note: "Mario Monico still owns the UH career records for batting average (.367), total bases (433) and walks (240, also a WAC record) and his 10 RBIs against Utah in 1985 remains a single-game best."


About how his father Mario supported him in his football career, Jordan Monico said:
"(Mario) was supportive in everything I did and was there to work with me, lifting weights, running, giving me pointers." (HSA)


HSA Note: "He played in six games as a freshman linebacker with Savannah State, an FCS program, and hit .279 with four home runs with the baseball team in the spring. But a "miscommunication" with the football staff led him to seek a transfer back home, leaving behind a partial baseball scholarship."


About how he chose to walk on to the football team instead of playing baseball for UH, Monico said:
"I was thinking about it. It's still in my mind because I still love the game of baseball. But I'm just focusing on football right now and working my butt off.  On the baseball field I'm more of a power hitter. On the football field I try to do the same, just be a hard hitter." (HSA)


About Louisiana Tech's speedy special teams, Tormey said:
"We're trying to make a concentrated effort to get more speed on the field. Louisiana Tech has tremendous speed, not only at the returner positions but across the board on their coverage teams and return teams. So we need to be able to match skill with skill." (HSA)


http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20100930_Bruising_hitter.html