Every moment has mattered for Duke Clemens.
Distilling every available second to be efficient. Timing. Teamwork. Chemistry. That’s why the Punahou senior rarely has homework after a long day of classes, practices and workouts — and May Day rehearsal. Playing four sports, producing in the classroom at an honor roll level, earning a scholarship to UCLA, and Clemens counts his blessings. Each step along the way was, it seems, destined.
His parents were high school sweethearts at Maryknoll. Duke wanted Punahou, following older sister Pi‘ikea’s footsteps.
“It was sixth grade. All my cousins went to Kamehameha, Saint Louis. That’s where I used to want to go, but once my sister got in here and I saw the campus, I wanted to come here. I tested and I got in,” Clemens said. “I wanted to maximize my potential. The network. The opportunities. I’ve always liked school.”
Clemens is the kind of athlete who has found his niche in everything he has tried. A natural on the offensive line at Punahou, a Star-Advertiser All-State selection at one of the top football programs in the state. Able to play multiple positions, and probably in line to play center at the next level.
“He’s very talented, can play multiple positions, all of them well,” longtime Punahou coach and former NFL offensive lineman Kale Ane said. “He’s very coachable, very motivated to play at the highest level possible. UCLA’s getting a great offensive lineman.”
On the hardwood, Clemens is a Star-Advertiser All-State Fab 15 selection. He has always had old-school, back-to-the-basket fundamentals, able to hit the turnaround bank shot, jump hooks with either hand, spin move to the bucket, reverse layups lefty or righty. A 6-foot-4, 270-pound post player who loves passing as much as scoring doesn’t come around often, if ever.
Baseball at Punahou is another sub-culture in itself. The boys on the diamond recently captured the ILH regular-season title, and with a pitching staff as deep as theirs is, Clemens hasn’t had opportunities, and he understands.
“I always want to play. I always want to shine. I do wish I was in more games, but I don’t mind being a good teammate. It seems to be working, me not playing, but if I get my time, that’s big on my list,” he said.
Baseball coach Keenan Sue has marveled at the impact Clemens makes.
“He has handled his success and constant attention with class and is a great ambassador for his family and the school. He is also a great reminder for kids and parents not to specialize in a single sport too early,” Sue said. “Duke wields considerable social capital on the team. He understands that and leads by supporting his teammates on and off the field. He’s always very positive and energetic.”
Who tries the shot put for the first time in his life just three months before graduation? Clemens hoisted the steel sphere 49 feet flat. That was more than enough to qualify for the state tournament, and he is just a few feet behind the state’s best.
“I always wanted to do it since I was in seventh grade,” he said. “I asked Coach Eki (Faagai), and he said, ‘Yeah, for sure.’ It’s good for me to be there for my friends. They were pretty surprised, but it just pushes them to go farther.”
The intricacies of putting the shot have been a challenge Clemens has embraced.
“It’s really trickier than people think. Everyone can throw it pretty far just using muscle, but once you start using technique and proper form, you just get that taste of how far you can actually throw. You’re always working on your craft after that.”
Ane, who is also co-athletic director, hasn’t seen many four-sport athletes over the decades.
“To be able to do multiple sports in the same day, the same season, takes a lot of willingness to listen,” he said.
With all the time Clemens spends in sports, there’s a certain master-level skill he has acquired in his years at Punahou, which he began attending in sixth grade. He gets his homework done during break time on campus.
“I don’t really play video games,” Clemens said. “I usually do not do homework at home. I get it all out of the way during my breaks. We don’t really have a set lunch period. You go when you can, so some days I can start at 9:30 and finish at 11:30. It’s like college, I guess. I go in the library. There’s a social area, and there’s a thing called silent section. I can work with a group of people, but when I really need to get things done for the next class, I jump in the silent section and get things done.”
Choosing UCLA came after Clemens studied 20 scholarship offers.
“UCLA was different because of the facilities, the coaching staff, the location of the school and how nice the campus was. When I visited there, it just felt right and I wanted to commit right there,” he said. “It’s the closest feeling to home.”
DUKE CLEMENS’ FAVORITES
>> Athlete: JJ Watt — “I just like his intensity, and how he’s big and athletic. When they had that big storm in Texas, he gave back so much to the community.”
>> Team: Los Angeles Rams — “Ever since they signed Jared Goff, I’ve been a fan. After they moved to LA.”
Food at home: Breakfast.
“I like waking up and my mom (Drae) is already cooking breakfast. That’s probably the best. She’s always surprising me with different meats and different styles of making breakfast. She’ll change up the meats with some Vienna sausage, bacon, Spam, sometimes she’ll cook fried rice.”
Food eating out: L&L Hawaiian BBQ
“I like getting hamburger steak/BBQ chicken combo plate, fruit punch, some fries sometimes.”
>> Hobby outside of sports: Ocean sports — “I’m pretty crafty in the ocean. Bodyboarding, diving, paddling, things like that. I like going to Makapuu. After you catch some waves, you can go out by the point and dive. I just like being in the water, spending all day there. Oahu is kind of overfished, but I would love to go diving and camping off the grid and catch my own fish. That would be fun.
Movie: “Stepbrothers”
“It’s a comedy with Will Ferrell. I can watch that over and over. It’s a good plane movie.”
TV show: “Supernatural”
“It’s on the CW, but I like to binge watch it on Netflix. These two brothers hunt ghosts, demons, whatever is supernatural. One brother has supernatural powers.”
Music artist: Eminem
“If I’m working out, I’d start with ‘I’m Not Afraid,’ then jump to the old stuff like ‘Slim Shady.’ I like the first song to get pumped. His live voice is more ummpf in it. You can tell he’s angry, and it makes you more motivated to lift more.”
Teacher: Christie Gabriano, a.k.a. Auntie Gabes,
“She used to work in the library, but she just retired. She knows a lot of things. If I’m doing homework in the library, she’ll always be able to help me.”
>> GPA: 3.6 — “If I wasn’t an athlete, and not at Punahou, it would be higher. At Punahou, it’s not a weighted GPA and I take a couple of APs (advanced placement), so it would probably be higher because I tend to do good in my AP classes. And if I wasn’t an athlete, I’d probably have more time to study for tests. At Punahou, you really learn to manage your time.”
>> Motto/scripture: “If it was easy, everyone would do it.”
>> What mom (Drae) says: “I love you.” “She tells me she loves me every day.”
>> What dad (Te‘o) says: “Every day is the Super Bowl.”
>> What your coaches say: “Don’t be afraid to be the best (Kenny Patton).”