In the calendar of his mind, one day was circled: Aug. 30, 2014.
Since transferring to the University of Hawaii in July 2013, running back Willis Wilson looked forward to playing his former team, Washington, in the 2014 opener.
"We talked about this game every day," said cornerback Dee Maggitt, Wilson’s best friend and UH teammate.
Both were raised a 30-minute drive from Washington’s Seattle campus.
"He couldn’t wait to play U-Dub," Maggitt said.
But on Nov. 30, the morning of the regular-season finale, Wilson drowned in waters off Sandy Beach.
"It was tough, man," said Kody Afusia, who was among the UH student-athletes to share a house with Wilson.
Wilson’s birth name was Jack Willis Wilson III, but he was known as Willis to most teammates and Cudi to close friends.
Taz Stevenson, now a UH safety, and Wilson were Washington teammates for three years.
"He was a really good friend of mine," said Stevenson, who was raised in Mililani. "He was so excited when he told me he was going to play for Hawaii. I was excited for him. Before he left, I wished him the best of luck in his endeavors."
Wilson played sparingly. He was not among the 64 UH players who checked into a Waikiki hotel on the eve of the regular-season finale against Army.
The Warriors were in a collective daze after learning of Wilson’s death the next morning.
That evening, the team paid tribute to Wilson when slotback Scott Harding left the field before UH’s first offensive play, creating the "Missing Warrior" formation. Teammates held up three fingers signifying a "W."
"That was a heavy-hearted game, especially for Dee Maggitt," Afusia said.
Coach Norm Chow, school officials, and several donors organized a memorial service. There was a plan to refund Wilson’s tuition fee to his parents. Wilson was not on scholarship.
Since then, volleyball player Aniefre Etim-Thomas, a housemate, earned a bachelor’s degree. Another house member, receiver Bubba Poueu-Luna, transferred. Cornerback Tony Grimes completed his NCAA eligibility. Kicker Joe Uglietto is no longer on the team. Afusia is the starting center. And Maggitt, after a few weeks of reflection, re-claimed a starting cornerback’s job.
"The support system here is great," Maggitt said. "The coaches were definitely there for me when that happened."
As freshmen in 2010, Maggitt and several teammates made a pact to stay together through their senior years.
"I feel grounded here," Maggitt said. "I feel a lot more at home here than anywhere else. And I definitely wanted to play for (Wilson). It makes this game a lot bigger."
