When Robert Atimalala drives his vehicle, that’s when the old-school rap tunes start pumping through the speakers.
Sons Tamatoa and Titus Mokiao-Atimalala forget about the daily grind. The academic demands. The weight-room reps. The quest to be the best team Campbell can be.
No demands. No expectations. Just a man and his two sons freestyling during those breaks between work, school and workouts. It’s enough that their dream is to build a studio one day.
“When we’re driving around and see something, then we freestyle about it. The freestyling came up because you’ve got to think, you’ve got to rhyme,” said Robert, a foreman at Hawaiian Dredging Construction. “One of my friends called (Titus) Snoop because he’s skinny and tall, but all of Titus’ lyrics are good, no swearing. Then Toa jumps in and they keep going until they get stuck. Titus will go and pass it to me, and it’s for fun.”
Of course, there is preparation. Since arriving at Campbell, there has been the constant of workouts, a mentality of discipline on and off the field.
“For the spirit God gave us doesn’t make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline,” Tamatoa said. “That’s 2 Timothy 1:7. Our parents instilled scriptures in us when we were little. At first, it was just words, and later, we put it into action.”
Action aplenty. Tamatoa, a third-team All-State cornerback, is a key part of the ironman crew for the Sabers, starting at receiver and defensive back. He had 36 hauls for 475 yards and four touchdowns last season and is one of the leaders of both the offensive and defensive units.
Titus already has 21 receptions for 366 yards and seven TDs through three games, following up on a Star-Advertiser All-State first-team selection in 2018. As a sophomore, he had 75 catches for 1,385 yards and 14 TDs in the Open Division.
Their football IQ is off the charts.
“I installed some of my stuff where we adjusted for coverages,” offensive coordinator Jaymason Lee said, “and Toa finished my sentences before I finished. He’s like a coach to the other guys. That really impressed me, his knowledge about route running.”
Titus has been an explosive deep threat, but runs every route with precision as the brothers push each other.
“He’s the more vocal one. He’s our motivator,” Lee said. “Toa doesn’t speak much, but when he does it’s good for our boys and even our coaches to hear. Titus is always talking to the boys. He amazes me with his closing speed on the ball. Sometimes Blaine (Hipa) overthrows him and I’m saying, give him a chance, but Titus gets to the ball.”
The work ethic is the same in the classroom. Each brother has a 3.5 grade-point average. That has opened doors. Tamatoa (5-10, 180) committed to Hawaii in January, and had offers from Army and Navy. Titus (6-1, 170) has an offer from Hawaii.
Lee started at Alabama A&M, but he compares Titus to a former teammate at Castle.
“Everyone knew we were going to him, and he still found a way to get open. It’s the same with Titus and Toa. Like Shayden (Kehano), they never ask to get off the field,” Lee said. “They can both play at the D-I level. I expect them to go in and play right away.”
Keeping life simple helps.
“There are distractions out there and they don’t get easily distracted because their father keeps everything in check for them,” Campbell head coach Darren Johnson said. “You can’t monitor anybody 24/7, but he knows where his boys are. Football is hard work and you have to work to be successful. There’s no gimmies. They work hard for everything they get.”
No video games.
“I cut all video games for about two, three years from our house. They were into it, but I wanted them to go out and play. Go throw ball outside like I did in my days. Do something with yourself after you do chores,” Robert said.
No girlfriends — with the rare exception.
“Right now, we’re on a mission here. To this day, Titus never had a girlfriend. Tama, I let him have a girlfriend at the end of (junior) year,” Robert said.
Robert, clearly, lays down the groundwork. Tami, their mother, provides balance. It starts at the core.
“I say, be friends. You don’t need girlfriends right now, holding hands. So far, so good,” Robert added. “Thank you, Jesus. All these teenagers these days are so aggressive, that’s a whole ’nother book there.”
No soda. Tamatoa will allow himself a lemonade now and then, but soda is out.
“It causes cramps,” he said.
The brothers set the bar for their three younger sisters, Tammarah (junior), Tiarha (freshman) and Tyannah (eighth grade), all volleyball players. If all the restrictions and focus sound familiar, there’s a big influence on the family. Robert is a cousin of Galu Tagovailoa, father of standout quarterbacks Tua — the Heisman Trophy candidate at Alabama — and Taulia.
“God is good. Keep God in the forefront and everything happens,” Robert said.
Their freestyle game might not reach the same heights as their gridiron achievements. Johnson is fine with that.
“They enjoy life, too. They have fun with it,” he said. “Me, I’m old school, country and Western, but they can rap all they want.”
Campbell is 1-2 following a 48-27 loss to No. 1 Saint Louis over the weekend. No panic buttons in Ewa Beach.
“It’s a process of getting better. We’ve made simple mistakes,” Tamatoa said. “Our young guys are stepping up.”
Titus agreed.
“Just us knowing we can compete with Saint Louis,” he said, “builds confidence in us.”
BROTHERS TAMATOA AND TITUS MOKIAO-ATIMALALA
Favorites
Campbell football • Tamatoa, right, is a senior. Titus is a junior.
Athlete
>> Tamatoa: OBJ (Odell Beckham Jr.). Titus: Julio Jones.
Team
>> Tamatoa: “Growing up, I liked the Steelers because of Troy Polamalu.”
>> Titus: “Pittsburgh Steelers. Our dad (Robert) is a Raiders fan. Our whole garage is painted silver and black.”
Hobby
>> Tamatoa: “Spending time with family, going to the beach.” Titus: “Basketball.”
Movie
>> Tamatoa: “I like more action movies. My favorite is ‘300’. They have a brotherhood and they stick together.” Titus: “ ‘Stomp The Yard’. It’s a movie about dancing.”
TV show
>> Titus: “ ‘Empire’.” Tamatoa (agreeing): “It shows no matter what level you are, family-wise, business-wise, any aspect of your life, how they handle situations.”
Music artist
>> Tamatoa: “J. Cole. Love Letters.” Titus: “I like to listen to different artists, but I don’t have a favorite.”
