The University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team’s best defensive player is joining the football team’s offense.
Larry “Tui” Tuileta has accepted a football scholarship and will compete at quarterback for the Rainbow Warriors. He also will remain as libero/outside hitter for the volleyball Warriors.
“It’ll be good to get him back out here,” football coach Nick Rolovich said.
Tuileta returned from an international volleyball tournament on Monday. He was scheduled to go through a football orientation session on Monday afternoon. He is set to join the Warriors for this morning’s practice, the fifth of training camp.
He has two years of eligibility remaining in both sports.
As a Punahou School senior during the 2013-14 academic year, Tuileta was the state’s top high school football and volleyball player.
Tuileta was the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s offensive player of the year as a quarterback in 2013. He led the Buffanblu to an 11-0 record and the 2013 state championship. He also helped the Buffanblu win three consecutive state volleyball titles. He was named Volleyball Magazine’s 2014 national player of the year. He was one of the most accomplished players in club volleyball history, leading Ka Ulukoa to national age-group titles for the 12s, 13s, 14s, 15s, 16s and 17s. He was named the national tournament’s most valuable player for the 15s, 16s and 17s.
As a Punahou junior in April 2013, he made an oral agreement to play both sports at UH. But two weeks before the Feb. 5, 2014 signing day, he changed his mind, opting to attend USC as a walk-on in football and volleyball.
He redshirted as a USC freshman quarterback in 2014. After the winter break, he joined the USC volleyball team in January 2015, playing in 26 matches with 12 starts as an outside hitter. He was not on the USC team’s active football roster during the 2015 fall semester. After that, he requested — and received — a release allowing him to transfer. After completing work at a community college, Tuileta officially joined the UH volleyball team as a non-scholarship player in December 2016.
“If you go back, this is probably where he’s supposed to be,” Rolovich said.
Rolovich added: “We’re very aware of his volleyball success. We’re not going to intrude on that.”
Rolovich also praised volleyball coach Charlie Wade and athletic director David Matlin for easing the way for Tuileta to compete in two sports.
“It really shows what Dave Matlin has done as far as bringing this athletic department together,” Rolovich said. “Talking with Charlie, great communications, that’s the only way we’ll move forward if everyone works together. We appreciate Charlie Wade.”
Tuileta has earned a reputation as a hard worker and cooperative teammate.
“I’m so proud of this locker room right now,” Rolovich said. “He’s going to be a guy who’s going to fit in and improve it. I think he can. I want that to be (the players’) favorite place on the planet — that locker room — and it’s getting there.”
