No burden, just fun for Hawaii’s Rasmussen

University of Hawaii football player Kory Rasmussen is on the clock.

As a full-time student, football player and father, Rasmussen adheres to a tight schedule.

"Forty-five seconds," Rasmussen said of his diaper-changing talent. "I’m pretty good at that."

He also has developed into a skilled nose tackle, a key position in the Rainbow Warriors’ 3-4 base defense. Rasmussen, who shares the hold-the-point job with starter Kiko Faalologo, is prepared for Thursday’s opener against Colorado, a school he attended as a freshman in 2012.

He is not preoccupied with revenge or what-if scenarios.

"On the field, you have to focus on what you’re doing out here," Rasmussen said.

Feeling a need to change scenery, Rasmussen transferred to UH in 2013 without a guarantee of a scholarship — or position. He bounced between the offensive and defensive lines as a redshirt in 2013. He did not appear in any games last year.

Tom Mason, who was hired as defensive coordinator in March, gave Rasmussen permanent residency at nose tackle.

"In the spring, he was one of those strong, slug-it-in-the-middle-type guys," Mason said.

In Mason’s schemes, the linemen are required to be agile and athletic. As the saying goes, Rasmussen was a statue of limitations.

"He never moved his feet, never made a play," Mason said of the early spring practices.

Mason said Rasmussen improved from a "fundamental standpoint," becoming more mobile, using his hands to ward off grasping offensive linemen, and consistently detaching from blocks.

"He’s come a long way," said Mason, who recently declared Rasmussen as the defense’s most improved player. "I don’t know if there’s a dropoff between our first and second at nose."

Mason said Rasmussen has embraced the nose tackle’s burden.

"You get hit every down," Mason said. "Most of the time you get double-teamed. There are guys around your knees. You’ve got to love contact. You’ve got to love football."

Rasmussen said: "It’s fun. I like the action. I like the challenge."

His first two UH seasons, Rasmussen worked as a landscaper and a hospital clerk to help pay for school expenses. At the end of this past spring semester, he was awarded a football scholarship.

"Everybody was excited," Rasmussen said. "We’re just thankful."

He said he has not spent his first scholarship check, which was direct-deposited into his bank account. He and his girlfriend plan to use it to pay for diapers for their 2-month-old son, Kruze.

"Diapers and wipes are expensive," he said. "We go through them fast. We’re finishing the last from the baby shower."