In a short period of time, freshman defensive lineman Kalepo Naotala made the right kind of impression on Hawaii football coach Nick Rolovich.
“I wanted to bring the team and go in the Kailua Fourth of July Parade, and I sent a text out to the team,” Rolovich said. “He’s the first one to text me back. He said, ‘Coach, I’ll go in the parade.’ Kalepo was one of the first ones to text me, ‘Coach I’ll go to Kaneohe Elementary and read to kids with you.’ … He’s been at three or four (community service events) since he got here. So he’s really been the … six-month poster child of living aloha, playing warrior.”
Naotala remains hospitalized in “pretty serious” condition after a diving accident in waters off Waikiki Beach on Saturday afternoon, a glum Rolovich said Monday at the Manoa lower campus.
Rolovich addressed his team along with athletic director David Matlin before speaking to the media.
Naotala, 19, appeared to hit his head while jumping off the wall near the Kapahulu Groin around 2:40 p.m. Some teammates were with him at the time.
Rolovich got a call from those players as he was returning from Wahiawa to deliver season tickets, and went straight to the emergency room. He declined to go into specifics of Naotala’s injury, except to say, “We’ve seen improvement. We just know he’s got a long journey ahead of him.”
About 20 teammates filled the hospital lobby the day of the accident and several stood vigil overnight. Naotala’s father, Tony, flew in Sunday night, Rolovich said.
Rolovich said Naotala’s family is “very strong. Incredible strength in the father. I was with him this morning. We’ve had other coaches there today. You marvel at how strong the dad has been, and how strong they are in their faith, and that’s really holding them and pushing them through this thing.”
The coach said he asked himself if he could’ve done more to instruct his players on ocean safety.
“There’s really no rules about that,” Rolovich said. “I think moving forward we’ll definitely be more conscious of (that). That’s the importance of a local boy on the team. That’s our ambassador to other players, just to show them what works and what doesn’t.”
Naotala, who has some local family, lived in Hawaii three years before moving to Newport News, Va., where he played both offensive and defensive line at Menchville High School. He participated in the 2016 Polynesian All-American Bowl.
Naotala signed a letter of intent with the Rainbow Warriors on Feb. 3, 2016. He held off enrolling at UH until January to fully recover from knee surgery. Naotala participated in UH’s spring training and offseason conditioning program.
He was projected to compete for playing time on the defensive line this fall.
On the possibility of donations to defray medical costs, Rolovich said: “We’re trying to figure that out with the NCAA. The one thing the people of Hawaii have is that generosity when people are in need. We know people would be willing to do that. We just have to figure out the correct way to do it.”
