Rearview: Actor-performer Al Harrington also excelled as history teacher and football coach

I mostly know Al Harrington, who died Sept. 21, as an actor and performer. But he was also a history teacher and football coach at Punahou. Many of his former students have fond memories of this man, who they say never forgot them.

Harrington was born in Samoa on Dec. 12, 1935, with the name Tausau Ta’a. His mother, Lela, moved to Honol­ulu and married Roy Harrington. Al grew up in Halawa housing from the age of 3 but was given a scholarship to Punahou.

Harrington was a standout Punahou football star and led the team to the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship in 1953.

He played quarterback and running back, and graduated in 1954 before going to Stanford University on a scholarship, where he was a fullback and also a kicker. One season, he averaged 42 yards on seven punts.

He earned a history degree from Stanford and returned to Punahou where he taught history and became an assistant football coach.

Barbara Jurkens told me: “Years before he became a professional entertainer, he was my very favorite teacher ever.

“I had Mr. Harrington — he will always be Mr. Harrington to me — as a freshman for European history. It was honestly the first time I found history to be interesting. He was just an amazing presenter of information.

“At the parent-teacher night meeting, he impressed my folks with his passion for his subject and his students. My mother came home and told me that that Mr. Harrington said that if it took him standing on his head to make the students pay attention to history, he would do it. ‘And he would!’ my mother exclaimed.”

First mentor

Chip Moore said: “Al Harrington was among my very first mentors. The two years I played junior varsity football under his Punahou coaching not only taught me more about football than at any other time (even playing college football), but also about myself and lessons on how to approach life.

“He was an extraordinarily passionate and positive person, and it was contagious! He was a tenacious winner and showed us how to be one, too (as well as being graceful in finishing second).

“I had a sense of his humble beginnings, which translated into how he prepared the JV team against teams composed of similar backgrounds — reminding us just how ‘hungry’ (literally) these players were. Be prepared and never underestimate your competition.

“I also remember Al and his wife having the entire team over to their modest home (I think at the corner of Farrington Street and Wilder Avenue) for lunch each Saturday (games were on Thursday). It was usually something simple like spaghetti and bread — but it didn’t matter.

“It was another window into his unconditional generosity, caring and bonding (connecting) that he instilled within us as a team and his ohana.

“I also took European and Hawaiian history from him. While his classes were never dull, you can only imagine his immense passion for the latter subject.

“I remember coming home to Honolulu a few times before and after college, and running into Al. He couldn’t have been more embracing and happy to see me,” Moore concluded.

“His presence marked some of the most memorable times of my high school days and life overall. My deepest condolences to his wife and family. He was an extraordinary individual.”

Grueling

Arnold Morgado was also on the Punahou football team. The summer after graduation, “Mr. H” would take him to Kapiolani Park to work out in preparation for his college football career. Morgado said those training sessions were more grueling than any he experienced in college or the four years he played with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Morgado was on the Honolulu City Council for eight years and was Council chairman for six. Maybe that was more grueling than training under “Mr. H.”

Morgado ran for mayor in 1994. “If there is one thing I learned from all of my years in athletics, it’s that hard work will overcome a shortcoming in any area, whether it be in my experience as a banker, a former state representative, a City Council member or, hopefully, as mayor of Honolulu,” Morgado says.

Morgado, by the way, was a top scorer for the Chiefs in 1978 as a fullback. But he did not score as mayor, coming in second to Jeremy Harris.

Bull in the Ring drills

Warner “Kimo” Sutton said: “I was an end on the football team when we used to do Bull in the Ring drills.

“Mr. Harrington was in the middle of the ring. Mr. Ane would call out each player’s number, and they would attack. I was last and somehow got Mr. H in the back. Down he went.

“He yelled to everyone, ‘Take a lap — except you, Sutton.’

“Years later when I worked in Waikiki, I’d see Al across Kalakaua Avenue. ‘Hi Al!’ I would yell.

“Out would come his booming voice, ‘Take a lap, Sutton!’ He remembered all of us!”

Gone before you know it

Wes Carahasen was in the Punahou class of 1969. “Harrington was an awesome coach! He always said, ‘Enjoy playing football because it’ll be gone before you know it.’”

Talent

John Dudley wrote: “Al saw what was good in a person and the talents that they had. Whether it was Arnold on the football field, Audrey dancing and singing, or myself in the business world, he would not let us ‘waste’ those talents.

“He made us realize that even though we had some talent, it took hard work to become the best that we were capable of doing.

“He threw chalk or erasers at students because he knew how hard he prepared for that class but more importantly how hard our parents had worked to give us the best education possible. It was, in his mind, disrespectful for not only him, but our parents as well.

“There are many people that are thankful for his love — very tough love at times, but a very sincere love. Many of us didn’t realize at the time, when he was giving us this tough love, that he knew that we had talent and he didn’t want us to waste it.”

Show business

Harrington married and his wife was soon expecting twins, Tau and Alema, in 1966. To pay for his growing family, he began moonlighting as an entertainer at a Waikiki luau.

An associate of Leonard Freeman, who created the original “Hawaii Five-O,” saw him perform and thought he might be a good addition to the show. He was cast as Ben Kokua in 1972. He was in 64 episodes of the original “Five-O,” and made 10 appearances on the new show from 2011 to 2018.

In his third appearance on “Hawaii Five-O” — “You Don’t Have to Kill to Get Rich — But It Helps,” he foiled a blackmail scheme that guest star William Shatner (from “Star Trek”) was involved in.

His fame led to a show of his own — “Al Harrington’s Polynesia” in 1972 — and made him famous locally and with visitors.

Kathryn Heller was publisher of This Week Magazine in the 1970s and had occasion to see Harrington’s show frequently.

“It was always great, but one of my favorite memories is when he told a joke and the audience didn’t respond, he would wait a minute … shrug his shoulders and say … ‘It’ll come to you on the bus,’ meaning of course that he hoped they would get his joke when they got back on the tour bus.

“His shows were great, and his comedic talent and timing never disappointed.”

Al Harrington was a treasure, and will live on in all of our memories.

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Have a question or suggestion? Contact Bob Sigall, author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books, at Sigall@Yahoo.com.