Hawaii’s Andrade refused to quit when football ended

Former University of Hawaii football player Michael Andrade could have walked away to the rest of his life.

Instead, Andrade conquered dyslexia and a back injury that required surgery to walk proudly during UH’s commencement ceremony Saturday in the Stan Sheriff Center.

“It’s a big accomplishment, a big part of my life, for sure,” Andrade said. “It’s been a long journey, but I’m sure happy I finished.”

Andrade, a decorated defensive lineman at Konawaena High, was the last high school prospect of the Rainbow Warriors’ 2012 recruiting class. He was country strong and daring. He was a three-time Hawaii High School Rodeo Association all-around state champion.

But he struggled with dyslexia. Sometimes printed words became blurry or rearranged, especially when he felt stressed. “They didn’t look that good to my eyes for some reason,” Andrade said, conceding, “I was a little bit behind in reading.”

Academic counselors offered help. But Andrade decided the best approach was to attack. He read everything — books, magazines, labels — and re-read them until he comprehended.

“I kept reading,” he said. “Like anything, if you keep practicing, you become good at it.”

But repetition could not alleviate the two slipped discs suffered from football training. At the end of the 2014 season, he was granted a medical retirement that would allow him to remain on scholarship but end his football career. He underwent back surgery last year.

“I had a lot of obstacles,” Andrade said, but none was great enough to allow him to quit. “I wasn’t going to be satisfied going home working construction.”

Andrade also did not want to change studies. He majored in environmental science/native resource management.

“He really fought hard for that degree,” said Jim Gillespie, a UH academic advisor and learning specialist.

Athletic director David Matlin said it was inspiring for Andrade to complete his studies after his football career was abbreviated.

“The goal is to be the student part of student-athlete, and we want to do what we can to facilitate that,” Matlin said. “Things happen due to injuries and other reasons. It’s always great to get through and graduate. That’s what it’s all about.”

In advance of the commencement ceremony, the graduating student-athletes gathered, appropriately, in the Nagatani Academic Center. They received lei, white stoles and congratulations.

“I did it,” said Andrade, who aspires to be a game warden or park ranger. “I knew I had to get this degree, and I did it.”