At the start of every elementary school year, Makanale‘a Meyer braced for the inevitable.
“When they were doing the attendance, I knew my name was coming up,” he recalled. “I have ‘l-e-a’ at the end of ‘Makana.’ A lot times they butchered the pronunciation.”
After Saturday’s road game against Arizona State, Meyer, now a University of Hawaii defensive back, made a name for himself. In the first start of his four-season University of Hawaii football career, Meyer amassed a team-high nine tackles, broke up a pass, and blocked a punt.
“I just love how he does everything right,” safeties coach Nick Locher said of the 2022 Mililani High graduate. “There’s no detail too small for him. Every coaching point brought up — from me, from (defensive coordinator) Dennis (Thurman), from another defensive coach — he takes note of it. He has that willingness to do everything right.”
Meyer was the backup to nickelback Elijah Palmer and safeties Kona Moore and Matagi Thompson. But with Thompson unavailable Saturday, Meyer moved into the opening lineup. At 5 feet 9 and 185 pounds, Meyer is 5 inches shorter than Thompson.
“He understands he has a little bit of limitations physically,” Locher said. “But he doesn’t let that stop him. He’s able to use what other people would see as deficiencies and he’s able to use them as an advantage. Whether it’s playing with speed or great pad level, he does a great job of understanding who he is and what we want out of his position.”
Meyer said: “I think it’s just preparation. I don’t have all the physical attributes. It’s just preparation and trying to get an edge wherever I can. And it’s trusting my techniques and fundamentals. Things like that. Things I can control.”
For Meyer, football is a family tradition. His great grandfather was a UH running back. His father played and coached at Damien Memorial School. Meyer began playing flag football when he was 5; he then worked for his father as Damien’s water boy.
“It was awesome,” Meyer said. “I loved being around those guys. It was awesome seeing people older than me play. I looked up to some of those guys.”
Meyer grew to be a two-way player for Damien through his junior year. He transferred to Mililani for his senior season. He then committed to the Warriors with the intent of being a part-time student during UH’s 2022 fall semester. He joined the Warriors as a grayshirt in January 2023.
Meyer missed the 2024 season after suffering a torn ACL.
“I think hard work and staying with the team and my faith helped push me to get back,” Meyer said. “My family and my girlfriend really pushed me.”
This year, Meyer plays on coverage units on special teams, as well as being a key leader in the defensive secondary.
“Makana’s special,” head coach Timmy Chang said. “He’s a special player, a special person. He has a big heart. He can play this sport. He thinks with the best of them. He’s like a coach on the field.”
On Saturday, Meyer was assigned to the punt-blocking team. ASU’s Nick McLarty’s was deflected by Meyer and squibbed 9 yards to the Sun Devils’ 27.
“That’s what we practice and preach,” Meyer said. “Dip the shoulder, reduce the first step, go across the punter’s face …”
“I put him in a place, and he did the work,” special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield said. “He fell back on his training, and everything we talked about. … When a guy blocks a punt like that, what a momentum change. We have a lot to look forward to in the future.”
