All work and little play, Warriors DE Choi rewarded with a start and scholarship

The University of Hawai football team’s defensive end is no longer an in-a-rush end.

Andrew Choi, who has balanced school and work with football, was placed on scholarship following Tuesday’s practice.

Choi, a fifth-year senior, also appears to have earned the defensive end’s job for the Rainbow Warriors’ road game against San Diego State at Snapdragon Stadium.

Choi, who is 6 feet 1 and 250 pounds, replaces Mataio Soli, who started all five UH games since transferring from Arkansas this year. Soli is expected to petition for a medical retirement.

A scholarship became available when a junior-college transfer was told he needed a year’s residency in Hawaii to receive financial aid from the football program.

“Something became available for him,” head coach Timmy Chang said of Choi, a 2018 graduate of Kaiser High. Choi’s older brother, Zeno, was a standout defensive lineman for the Warriors.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Chang said. “He deserves it. He’s a good kid. We’re down guys at that position. Guys are going down. He’s been constant. He’s been consistent. He works. He’s deserving of it.”

Chang acknowledged Choi’s financial struggles. During the offseason and through training camp, Choi worked at Red Elephant Thai Cuisine.

“Even through training, I was working basically every weekday,” Choi said.

Chang said: “Imagine, he has to go to school, work and, because everybody is down, I think he starts. How can you not have a starter on scholarship? That’s good we put him on.”

Choi said he was caught “off guard” when he heard the scholarship award during Chang’s post-practice address to the media.

“Choi, we’re going to put you on scholarship for this semester,” Chang announced. “It’s real.”

Later, Choi said: “I wasn’t expecting anything, obviously, especially because it’s almost halfway through the season. It’s really nice.”

Chang, who was hired in January, has been trying to patch a defensive line that lost eight players from a year ago. After the 2021 season, DJuan Matthews, Derek Thomas and Pita Tonga completed their UH eligibility. Jonah Laulu, Justus Tavai and Zacchaeus McKinney entered the NCAA transfer portal. O’tay Baker left the program. Alema Kapoi is now a UH graduate assistant.

Soli was impactful as a defensive end who helped bracket the edge and attract double teams to allow the linebackers and interior linemen to swoop in for tackles. Choi said he is embracing Chang’s next-man-up approach.

“Just like what Coach Timmy told me before camp started, I need to bring value to the team,” Choi said. “I’m trying to do that every way I can.”

Choi said he draws inspiration from the memory of Matt Faga, a former UH defensive tackle who died last year. Choi said Faga coached him from middle school through Kaiser. Choi switched his jersey number from 59 to Faga’s 96.