After a day of practice, meetings and classes, Hawaii tight end Harold Moleni returns to his apartment to focus on his other team.
"Something one of my bishops taught me is when you get home, leave the world at your door," said Moleni, who has been married to the former Sheriann Decker for more than a year. "I do the best I can of doing that. When I get home, I leave football and school outside the door, and I focus on spending time with my wife."
Moleni, a sophomore from West Valley City, Utah, has emerged as the Rainbow Warriors’ best blocking tight end. He has five catches, two of which resulted in first downs.
Moleni had missed three football seasons because of a church mission to Spokane, Wash. But he had few problems re-acclimating after joining the Warriors in July 2012. He played in 11 games last year. This season, he has played in six games, starting three. He missed a game because of concussion-like symptoms.
Usually, there is order to Moleni’s day. But during training camp in August, when the Warriors were sequestered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Moleni received a telephone call from Sheriann.
"She called me right before practice, and she was crying," Moleni recalled. "I was like, ‘What’s wrong?’ She said: ‘We’re pregnant.’ It was an emotional time for us, but so exciting. That day I had a good practice."
Because his wife was only in her first trimester at the time, Moleni only told head coach Norm Chow and tight end coach Phil Rauscher.
"I told Coach Rauscher because I wanted to go home to check on my wife to make sure she was OK," Moleni said.
The couple is expecting in April.
"We’re so happy," Moleni said. "We were trying for a while, and it worked out."
Moleni said the baby’s first picture — an ultrasound image — is taped to their refrigerator.
He said they are planning to move to a bigger apartment.
"We’re trying to get our finances in order, preparing for the baby," said Moleni, whose wife is a secretary for a non-profit organization. "Emotionally and spiritually, I don’t know if we’re prepared as we’d like to be."
The Warriors depart this afternoon on a 10-day trip for road games against Utah State on Saturday and Navy on Nov. 9. Sheriann will travel to Utah, staying with relatives there for the week.
The Warriors will have a day off this Sunday, allowing the couple to maintain a weekly tradition.
"We try to have one date night a week," Moleni said. "Sometimes we’ll have a couple. It’s fun. It’s really nice."