The last go-round

Hawaii football player Paipai Falemalu is an early riser who awakens the roosters in Hauula.

"I leave home at 4:30 every morning," Falemalu said. "I get to school at 5:30, and take a nap, and then start my day."

His itinerary is filled with meetings, classes, practice, weight training and more meetings.

From Falemalu’s perspective, during football season in Hauula, the only sun day is Sunday.

"Other than that," Falemalu said, "I leave in the dark and come home in the dark."

He added: "I wouldn’t want it any other way."

It was part of the arrangement Falemalu envisioned when he agreed to become a member of Greg McMackin’s first UH recruiting class in 2008.

He had offers from California, Oregon State, Washington, Brigham Young and Utah. None had an 808 area code.

"Hawaii’s home," Falemalu said. "If I want to see my family, I don’t have to catch a long plane ride home. Maybe it’s $5 to $10 of gas to drive home, not a $400 ticket. There’s no place like home. After the game, it’s good to see my family instead of going home to an empty dorm room."

Falemalu actually lived on campus in 2008, when he redshirted as a freshman while recovering from an arm injury. Since then, he makes the daily commute from the North Shore.

"It’s rough," he said of the drive and the $250 monthly gas bill, "but like anything else, you have to sacrifice. I get less sleep than most people. But I love going home, seeing my family, seeing my brothers and sisters, seeming my mom, seeing my fiancee."

Falemalu has outlasted the coaching staff that invited him to Manoa. As a co-captain and member of the team’s leadership council, he has been a key figure during this transition season under Norm Chow, UH’s first-year head coach.

"If guys like him had not bought in, it would have been that much more difficult," Chow said. "But he did."

Falemalu is having a solid senior season rotating between rush end and linebacker. Of his 53 tackles, nine have been in the backfield. He has four sacks and two fumble recoveries. And he has no regrets.

"I wouldn’t change it for anything," Falemalu said. "I’ve had people ask me: ‘Now that you’ve been through a career at UH, would you have changed things?’ I say, ‘No, I wouldn’t change anything.’ I’ve made life-long friends here. I’ve met a bunch of good coaches."

Indeed, Falemalu will be taking his senior walk with an eclectic group this Saturday.

Slot receiver Miah Ostrowski and offensive lineman Levi Legay, who was on medical leave this semester, received their scholarship offers from June Jones in 2007. As grayshirts, they were part-time students in the 2007 fall semester, then joined the Warriors in January 2008. By then, Jones had departed for Southern Methodist. McMackin was promoted from defensive coordinator.

Ostrowski, safety Leroy Lutu and linebacker Rykin Enos were once members of the Rainbow Warriors basketball team. Enos was a true comeback player, having been cut twice previously by the football Warriors. This past summer, Lutu and Enos were awarded football scholarships.

This senior class is diverse. Punter Alex Dunnachie is from Australia. Running back Sterling Jackson is from Georgia. Rush end Darryl McBride took the Fresh Prince route from Philadelphia to California.

Defensive back Brandon Leslie, who worked as a videographer this season, is a Fresno resident who started his career at Georgia Tech. Defensive tackle Kaeo Alo was at Utah last season, and on a church mission before that.

Of the 17 seniors, nine joined the Warriors as walk-ons. Since then, seven earned scholarships, including long-snapper Luke Ingram, who has not missed a game in four years despite ankle and shoulder injuries.

Similar to Legay, defensive end Siaki Cravens’ career was abbreviated because of an injury. He suffered a shoulder tear on the last play of spring training. He had surgery, but still can’t lift weights until February.

"I’ve had a couple of months to come to terms with it and get ready for my future," said Cravens, who became a father this past summer. "I’ve shared the field with these guys for a long time. It’s unfortunate I won’t get to go on the field with them one more time. But there are better days to come."