Feature Interview with JJ

About giving up his Harley-Davidson, which is painted in the same dark green as the Warriors’ helmets, JJ said:
“I’m going to give it up. I’m going to give the bike to (booster club official Don Murphy), and let him auction it off at his Pigskin Pigout in August. The money can go to (UH’s football program). I bought (the motorcycle) here (in 1999). It’s a great bike.” (HA)

HA Note: “Jones, now Southern Methodist’s head coach, is in the Islands to host his annual celebrity golf tournament in Kona. Proceeds will benefit two Hawai’i charities. After that, the SMU and UH coaches will travel to American Samoa for a joint football clinic.”

About how he can’t comment on the mediation over the $400k, JJ said:
“I can’t comment on it at all. But (when it’s over), I’ll have a whole bunch of comments. Trust me.” (HA)

About leaving UH without saying goodbye, JJ said:
“The timing of the thing didn’t allow me any time to do things the way you need to do them. It happened so fast, you just don’t have time to do what you need to do. I at least had a chance to say my piece at the Northern California Chamber of Commerce (dinner), when they gave me an award. There were a lot of Hawai’i people there. That was my first chance to say what needed to be said.” (HA)

About his decision to leave, JJ said:
“You know … the day is not long enough to discuss all of that. I don’t want to get into all of that. I know it was the right thing to do for me, and I think, people will find out, it was the right thing for the university, too. One day when we have more time, when we can look back in two or three years, I’ll tell you everything. Right now is just not the time. I don’t want to get into all of that. I think it was the best thing for the school, and it was the best thing for me. And it was just hard to do because of my attachment to Hawai’i and a lot of people I love. I had to do what I had to do for me personally, for my family, for everybody. Sometimes you have to do things that aren’t the easiest thing to do, but are the best thing to do for those around you.” (HA)

About how Mack is perfect for UH now, JJ said:
“(New UH coach Greg McMackin) is a great football coach, and a good person, and he is perfect for the job. He will win, and he will get it done his way. I think the commitment people are making to the program right now is what I’m talking about. People are stepping up and realizing that if they want to have a top program, everybody has to do what they’ve got to do. I’ve been watching what’s happening with people stepping up to do things. It looks like those things are going to get done.” (HA)

About how the needed changes would not have been made if he stayed at UH, JJ said:
“If I had stayed, I don’t think that the sense of urgency would have been what it is right now to get things done. In the long run, (leaving) will be the best thing for the school.” (HA)

About recruiting in Hawaii, JJ said:
“We’ll recruit in Hawai’i. We’ve already offered (scholarships to) some kids here. And we’re going to recruit in American Samoa, too. I don’t think we’ll compete (against UH) on a lot of guys. The guys who want to stay home are going to stay home. The guys who want to go away, we’ve got a shot at. It’s the same way when I was (coaching) in Hawai’i. The guys who wanted to go away are going to go away. I don’t see it as competition.” (HA)

About Mack, JJ said:
“I talk to Mack once a week. He’s coming to my tournament. We’re going to American Samoa together. I’ll help him however and he’ll help me however.” (HA)

About playing UH, JJ said:
“I was trying to do it this year. But Jim (Donovan, UH’s athletic director) said they were filled. I’d like to have a three- or four-year deal. I know our ADs are talking. Now our AD is kind of the front-runner for that Notre Dame job, so it might go on the backburner. But I was the one who told them to (try and schedule the game). It’s out of my hands now. But I told them and I promoted it and they’re for it.” (HA)

About Daniel Smith’s lawsuit, JJ said:
“I would think there’s no grounds for him to win that case. It happens all of the time. It happened at SMU. I know a kid was offered at SMU, and we didn’t honor it. A new coaching staff has the right to say what it wants to say. It must happen a lot with coaching changes.” (HA)

About adjusting to life in Dallas, JJ said:
“The first week of spring practice, we got rained out. We got snowed out. I immediately knew we needed an indoor facility. I’ve been going 100 miles per hour since I’ve been up there. I haven’t had time to do much besides (focusing on) football. My son is going to go to high school. And, no, I still don’t wear socks. I go to Roy’s once a week. It’s in Plano. And now they’ve got an L & L in Lewisville, which is an hour away. We all go up there and get our fix.” (HA)

About finding Polynesian influences in Texas, JJ said:
“The state championship team that won the last two years in the state of Texas was primarily a Polynesian team. Trinity Euless. When we went to practice at Trinity, they stopped practice and broke into the haka. Dennis (McKnight, the offensive line coach who followed Jones to SMU) was blown away. Dennis was in the middle of Texas somewhere on a recruiting trip. He walked into a coach’s office, and on the board was (UH’s chant last season): Eo na toa, eo na toa e. Dennis freaked out. The guy said, ‘that’s a saying we’re going to adopt. I don’t know how to say it.’ Dennis said, ‘what do you mean you don’t know how to say it?’ Dennis showed him the tattoo on his arm. He taught him what it meant, and how to say it. The two of them were saying it in the middle of Texas.” (HA)

Quotes from Jim Donovan

About UH’s successful and controversial year, JD said:
“May you live in interesting times. That certainly was the case this year.” (HSB)

“It was a very remarkable year in both success and change.” (HSB)

About taking over the head coaching job at UH, Mack said:
“I feel blessed to be in the position I’m in. I’m not intimidated by it. I’ve been practicing for it my entire career. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m surrounded by great people and surrounded by great support.” (HSB)

About how it will take them awhile to get out of their financial hole, JD said:
“It took a few years to get into this situation and I don’t think we’ll get out of it overnight. We pretty much know where we are and we know where we want to go and we’re starting the process of charting how to get there.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “UH’s aging facilities remained at the forefront and the state legislature appropriated $7 million for projects including the replacement of Cooke Field’s playing surface, improvements to the locker room at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatics Complex and refurbishment of coaches offices. UH also received a $5 million donation from the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation to go toward construction of an athletic complex on the Cooke Field site.”

About the largest single gift to the athletic department in UH history, JD said:
“The Ching Foundation (donation) was just a great step to show that people are really backing us.” (HSB)

Excited about their future, JD said:
“As good as 2007-08 was, the potential for even greater success and memories is there. That’s what gets me really excited.” (HSB)

Feature Story on David Veikune

About how Veikune gets up early and sets an example for their workouts, Keala Watson said:
“I have a picture of him in my locker as inspiration. I would say yes, he is (the weight-room king). He’s kind of like a genetic freak. He’ll pretty much out-lift anyone else on the team.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “Before anybody else has picked up a thing, David Veikune has finished his first set for the day.”

HSB Note: “It’s always been that way for the soon-to-be senior, who despite taking four summer school classes, still makes it to the weight room nearly every day.”

HSB Note: “Since as early as the fifth grade, Veikune has been put through vigorous weight-training routines by his father, Oma. Oma had to be at his job as a postal worker every day by 7:30 in the morning. That meant the younger Veikune was up before sunrise, doing sit-ups, push-ups or whatever his father had planned for that day.”

About the workouts his father would plan for him each day, Veikune said:
“We would always get into arguments. But I would always end up doing it. He would tell me if I wanted to play football, I’d have to get up and work out, so I always did. That’s when you know you want to play this game.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “His passion for football was tested after spending his freshman year of college at Colorado. Buried on the depth chart at defensive end and unsure of where the program was headed, Veikune requested a release from his scholarship. A year after stepping foot on the campus of a Big-12 program, Veikune was at Fresno City College and unsure if his playing days would continue.”

About going from Colorado to Fresno City College, Veikune said:
“Going from Colorado to a (junior college) was the biggest obstacle of my life. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I wasn’t even sure if I was ever going to play football again.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “The time away from football made him realize his love for the sport and he started lifting weights again. On his own, he decided to call Hawaii assistant coach Rich Miano and let him know he wanted to be a Warrior.”

About how Rich Miano called him the day after his call and offered him a scholarship, Veikune said:
“(Miano) called me and said I had a scholarship. I had to take 22 credits my second semester of JC to get myself to come here.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “After playing mostly on special teams and sparingly off the bench as a sophomore, Veikune broke out as part of Hawaii’s deep defensive line rotation last year. His seven sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss earned him those all-league honors, despite not playing every down. That could change this season as the departures of Karl Noa and Amani Purcell could mean steady playing time for Veikune and John Fonoti.”

About how he’ll play a lot unless one of their backup DEs earns the playing time, Veikune said:
“Coach Mack said he wants to keep me and John in the whole game unless some of the guys can step it up and rotate with us. Rotation is always the best so everyone can be fresh. Now I’ve got to make sure I’m in better shape than last year if I’m going to be in there the whole time.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “Veikune played at 250 pounds a season ago and is trying to get to 270 by the start of camp. He says his bench press is up to 500 pounds, but his ability to keep his speed and agility while adding strength is what makes him such a dominating force.”

About how Veikune can add weight without losing speed and agility, Keala Watson said:
“It’s surprising he can keep his mobility with the strength he has. He’s probably one of our most versatile guys on the line. He can play defensive tackle, defensive end and he’s even the nose guard in our 3-4 packages. He contributes everywhere coach asks him to.” (HSB)

About how he’s learned a lot from new DL coach Aranda, Veikune said:
“I’ve gone through so many coaches in my career it’s nothing different. Him and (Jeff) Reinebold have different styles of coaching. Dave is more of a teacher. He’s talked to some of the best coaches in the NFL and given us a lot of techniques. He’s more of a teacher while Reinebold is more of a get in-your-face type.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “The Campbell High graduate is anything but that. Soft-spoken, Veikune is generally the guy on the sidelines by himself before a game, focusing in his own way. While the rest of the team is yelling and screaming and pounding each other’s pads, Veikune is already thinking about his first play of the game.”

About how he doesn’t talk much on the sidelines, Veikune said:
“I don’t need to get all crazy to get into a game. I don’t want to gas myself out.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “That’s because he needs all the energy he can get. And that’s why he’s the first guy in the weight room every morning.”