This final-exam week is quarterback Beau Reilly’s final week as a University of Hawaii football player.
Reilly, a third-year sophomore, is transferring to Texas A&M-Kingsville, a Division II school.
Reilly, his wife and their 14-month-old son will be moving on Thursday. They were celebrated in an emotional church service on Sunday.
“I’m happy for him,” head coach Nick Rolovich said. “I think he’s going to get an opportunity to play.”
With two years of eligibility remaining after this season, Reilly said, Kingsville “offers a good opportunity for me and my family.”
Reilly initially signed with Colorado State in 2011. But he went on a church mission, then transferred to UH in 2014. Despite not taking a snap during his three-year UH career, he finished as the No. 2 quarterback in 2014, when he redshirted, and 2015.
Reilly, Ikaika Woolsey, and Aaron Zwahlen were the only scholarship quarterbacks in spring training in April. During the summer, Cole McDonald, Dru Brown, Cole Brownholtz and Kyle Gallup joined the quarterback competition. In training camp, Reilly was told he would not be in the quarterback rotation. But Rolovich kept Reilly with the top offense as a player/mentor. Reilly helped signal plays during home games.
“He was a good mentor for the younger quarterbacks,” Rolovich said. “He handled it in a real positive way.”
Reilly embraced his new role.
“I felt it wasn’t right to live every day in a mopey or disappointing attitude,” Reilly said. “That would be kind of a waste. I did what I could, not only for myself, but for the team. Hopefully, that kind of left some kind of an impression on some of my teammates and especially the school.”
Zwahlen said Reilly is “a student of the game and a great teacher of the game.” Zwahlen added that Reilly was helpful “on the field and off the field. He taught me a lot about life.”
Slotback Dylan Collie and his wife live in the same apartment complex as the Reillys. Collie’s wife often would babysit Reilly’s son.
“He was one of the greatest teammates simply because he cared enough,” Collie said. “Even though he knew he wasn’t going to play, he still put in every single effort needed to mentally be there. He’s, hands down, one of the smartest guys when it comes to football. He’s got a very high IQ. His ability to be able to help the quarterbacks with just simply reading and understanding defenses, you can’t replace that. He’s going to be a phenomenal football coach one day. I love Beau, and I’m going to miss him like crazy.”
