Several years ago, the two brothers who were best friends — Keli‘i “KK” Padello and Kaimana Padello — could be found playing tag with the other kids in their Mililani neighborhood.

Now the Padello brothers are a tag team again. Both are rush ends for the University of Hawaii football team.

Kaimana, a 2016 Mililani graduate, joined the Rainbow Warriors last July. He played in all 14 games in 2016, making a decisive sack against San Jose State and blocking a UNLV punt to set up a touchdown drive.

Keli‘i, who was attending Lindenwood in Missouri, decided to transfer to reunite with his younger brother. “I love playing football, and I love playing with my brother,” Keli‘i said. “It was always a dream to play for Hawaii.”

Keli‘i took the circuitous route to Manoa. Keli‘i, who was the state’s 2013 defensive player of the year as a Mililani senior, attended Southern Oregon in 2014. But that school proved to be too expensive, and he left to join the Army National Guard. He then enrolled at Lindenwood in January 2016. That summer, Keli‘i said, “I made the choice to come back home and play with my brother.”

Keli‘i, who joined the Warriors last month, has a busy schedule. He is taking six classes, participates in monthly drills with the National Guard, and is a member of ROTC. Since spring practice started last week, he has been learning to play in new defensive coordinator Legi Suiaunoa’s schemes. At 5 feet 11 and 215 pounds, Keli‘i is nearly the same build as 6-foot, 210-pound Kaimana. Both are deceptively quick and strong.

Kaimana proved to be effective against bigger blockers. Although widely regarded as a pass-rush specialists, Kaimana said, “I see myself as a defensive end. I don’t limit myself to pass rush.”

Kaimana said he tries to use his “speed and size as advantages. I try to use leverage (against taller blockers). If you attack the right way, you can take on anybody. You have to think the guy across from you is no different from you, even if he’s bigger. You just have to ball out.”

Kaimana finds motivation from the doubters. He said he received interest only from Division II and NAIA programs as a high school senior. He then sought out UH coach Nick Rolovich through his Twitter account. The UH coaches offered Kaimana a roster berth as a preferred walk-on.

Kaimana said financial aid and a Hawaiian scholarship pay for his tuition and partially cover his school and living expenses. He said he hopes to be considered for a football scholarship in the future. For now, he said, he is committed to working “the everyday grind.” As for practicing alongside his brother, Kaimana smiled and said, “just like old times.”