UH suspends Gifford, rescinds scholarship

Defensive tackle Ka‘aumoana Gifford has been suspended for the University of Hawaii football team’s 2017 season, head coach Nick Rolovich confirmed to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Rolovich said the suspension is “due to violation of team rules.”

Rolovich declined to specify the infraction. But he acknowledged it is the university that imposed the suspension.

Rolovich said Gifford’s football scholarship has been rescinded. There is a possibility he may rejoin the team in 2018.

The violation does not involve any criminal or academic issues.

It is a disappointing development for a player who was expected to bolster the Rainbow Warriors’ defensive line. Two 2016 starters — defensive end Makani Kema-Kaleiwahea and defensive tackle Kory Rasmussen — graduated. Kalepo Naotala, a promising freshman who joined in January, remains hospitalized following a diving accident off Waikiki on July 1. Kennedy Tulimasealii, who was indefinitely suspended last year, is not expected to rejoin the team.

Gifford, who is 6 feet 4 and 275 pounds, would have played as a fourth-year junior this season. He is a 2014 Kamehameha Schools graduate who redshirted in 2014 and played in 24 games combined in 2015 and 2016.

This is the second suspension for Gifford. On April 12, 2016, Gifford was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of obstruction. He also was charged with leaving the scene of a fender-bender car accident in a separate incident. Soon after, Gifford was suspended from team activities. On May 24, 2016, the suspension was lifted and Gifford was reinstated to the team.

On June 3, 2016, Gifford pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and harassment stemming from the April 12 incident. District Court Judge Clarence Pacarro granted a deferral acceptance of the pleas. The case eventually was expunged and sealed after Gifford completed a probationary period without any further legal trouble. In the judicial view, Gifford has a clean record.