New Zealand sprinter set to join Warriors

The fastest man in the South Pacific is joining the University of Hawaii football team.

Eddie Osei-Nketia, whose national allegiance is to New Zealand, said he is ready to make the transition from international sprinter to American football player.

“I’ll sign with the ‘braddahhood’ on Wednesday,” Osei-Nketia said of putting his commitment in writing on the first day of the NCAA’s signing period for football prospects.

Osei-Nketia, who is 6 feet 2 and 215 pounds, ran 100 meters in 10.08 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore., this summer.

His father is Gus Nketia, who once held the New Zealand record in the 100-meter sprint.

Osei-Nketia attended Scots College, a secondary school that counts NBA center Steven Adams as an alumnus.

“Ever since high school, I always found inspiration to play football one day,” said Nketia, who practiced catching passes and running routes during his free time. “I wanted to play football with some of the top athletes in America.”

Last December, Keiki Misipeka, who was an NFL International scout at the time, met Osei-Nketia. They continued their friendship when Misipeka joined the Warriors as an assistant coach earlier this year.

After consulting with family members and deciding he’d accomplished his goals in track, Osei-Nketia said, “I felt it was time to give American football a try.”

He said his family has been supportive of his decision. “This is the best option,” he said. “(Misipeka) made my dreams come true. Without him, it would not be possible. I give thanks to Keiki.”

Osei-Nketia is expected to compete at running back or wideout.

Zoram Petelo of Layton (Utah) Christian Academy and Junior Fiaui of Saint Francis High in Mountain View, Calif., also will sign letters of intent on Wednesday.

Petelo, who is 6 feet 4 and 230 pounds, projects as a rush end or outside linebacker. Fiaui, who is 6-3 and 205 pounds, is expected to compete as a will linebacker.

Petelo was born in American Samoa and reared in Samoa (an independent nation previously known as Western Samoa). Three years ago, he moved to Layton, Utah, where he joined LCA’s football team as a quarterback. He switched to defense this season.

Fiaui was a strong safety this year, often moving up as a run defender in the box. “I’m used to being a linebacker,” Fiaui said.

Fiaui said he began playing organized sports when he was 7, first in football and then in rugby “as a way of helping with tackling.”

Ray Hisatake, a former UH offensive lineman who works and coaches at Saint Francis, said Fiaui will be a positive addition to his alma mater.

“He’s a great kid who’s going to work hard, and has his best football ahead of him,” Hisatake said. “Football-wise, he has such a strong upside. His frame alone, I think he has so much potential. But as a person, that’s what really separates him. He’s a great kid who’s going to work hard. And he’s not a ‘me’ guy. If you ask him to play tight end, even if he never played that position, he’d say, ‘I’ll do it.’ That’s the kind of kid he is. He’s going to contribute to the Warriors.”

Tuitupou seeking another season

While the Warriors are building their 2023 roster, they are wishful that they can retain a key player from the 2022 team. Defensive lineman John Tuitupou has petitioned the NCAA for a waiver that will allow him to return for a fourth UH season. Prior to joining UH in July 2020, Tuitupou’s football clock was put on pause because of a family situation.

This season, Tuitupou started all 13 games as the 3-technique tackle, amassing 35 tackles and 3.5 sacks.