David Veikune talked about moving from DE to LB

CR = Canton Repository

CR Note: “It’s asking a lot for Veikune to soar as a rookie in that he is converting from 4-3 college end to 3-4 pro linebacker. He is being tried inside and outside.”

About his pass coverage experience at UH and how he played LB in high school, Veikune said:
“At Hawaii we dropped a lot in zone coverages, and I played a little bit of linebacker in high school, but it’s a new position for me.” (CR)

Veikune said that he would “work extra hard” to:
“get natural.” (CR)

CR Note: “As a head coach, Mangini’s 2007 Jets put rookie second-round linebacker David Harris on a fast track, playing in a rotation early and starting the last nine games. He was in on a combined 41 tackles in his first two starts. It is hard to compare Harris and Veikune, though, since Harris was an inside linebacker in college.”

http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/browns/x112678766/The-geezer-gang-is-gone-for-the-Browns-linebackers

KHNL feature on Dylan Linkner

About playing video games to stay involved with football, Dylan Linkner (who just completed his eligibility with UH) said:
“Nowadays it’s pretty close to the video game and the real thing as far as the strategy wise, you know reading the defense and being a quarterback and making the right throws and touches.” (KHNL)

About how the NCAA Football game lets users adjust the stats for the players, Linkner said:
“You can go on and live this fantasy life through the video game or you can kind of make your stats realistic and see how good he might do against these guys in real life.” (KHNL)

About how the video game doesn’t come close to the feeling of actually playing the game, Linkner said:
“Nothing can beat the field, I mean the field is unbelievable, I mean, just being out there in front of all those people, it’s the live feedback, just being there and feeling the crowd, definitely the field is the winner.” (KHNL)

KHNL Note “But in our virtual game, the winner is BYU by a final score of 31-28. Dylan hauls in 8 catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while I finish 18 of 32, for 269 yards, two touchdowns and seven costly interceptions.”

About having his UH team lose to BYU, Linkner said:
“J Tang came out feeling confident, he had some good abilities in the game, it’s just the offensive coordinator, which unfortunately is me, made some bad calls and was a little impatient and threw one too many interceptions, 7 interceptions and two touchdowns, it’s not the greatest of stats.” (KHNL)

http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=10385198

Quotes about the UH-Army series

HA Note: “The first game of the series is Sept. 11, 2010 in West Point. The Warriors will travel 4,954 miles, their longest journey for a road game in the program’s history, exceeding the 4,947-mile trip to play Rutgers in New Brunswick, N.J.”

About Army and their head coach Rich Ellerson, Mac said:
“I’ve got a lot of respect for the program. I’ve got a lot of respect for the coach. I’ve known him for a lot of years. He does a great job. He has an offense that’s really hard to defend.” (HA)

“I’ve known (Ellerson) for a long time and he’s an outstanding coach. They’re going to be a big challenge.” (HSB)

About playing their first game at West Point on 9/11, Mac said:
“It’s a historical time on Sept. 11. It’s a historical (opponent). At one time, they were the best team in the game, and we’ll face some of the most competitive players.” (HA)

Asked how difficult their opening stretch of games are in 2010 (USC, at Army, at Colorado), Mac said:
“We’ll find out, won’t we? In order to be recognized, you have to play the big people. SC is one of the marquee programs in the country. And any time you play a military academy, it’s a special event. The military teams will never let down. It’s exciting for us because of the military makeup of Hawai’i. It will be great for the fans of Hawai’i. It’s a natural fit. We have so many military people here defending us.” (HA)

About playing in Hawaii, Army AD Kevin Anderson said:
“We have a very strong following in the state of Hawaii and we look forward to giving our soldiers at Schofield Barracks an opportunity to see their football team in person.” (HSB)

About playing back-to-back road games in 2010 against Army and Colorado, staying on the mainland between games like in recent years, Mac said:
“We should have the routine down.” (HSB)

About playing UH, Rich Ellerson said:
“Obviously there is a tremendous military presence in the state of Hawaii and I have a connection with the University of Hawaii. We’ve talked about having a presence west of the Mississippi and Hawaii is about as far west of the Mississippi as you can go and still speak English.” (HSB)

http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090520/SPORTS0201/905200386/1312&template=UHSports

http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20090520_Coaches_gung-ho_about_UH-Army_football_series.html

UH Announces a Four-Game Series with Army

UH = Official UH Athletics site

UH Note: “The series begins on Sept. 11, 2010 in West Point, N.Y., and continues Nov. 30, 2013 in Honolulu, Sept. 15, 2018 in West Point and concludes on Nov. 30, 2019 in Honolulu.”

About scheduling Army, JD said:
“We’re very pleased to have this home and home arrangement with Army put in place. With Rich Ellerson being a former UH football player and now head coach at Army, it adds even more to this series besides the fact that its an academy school and those programs always draw well in Hawai‘i. I’m glad we were able to get it done and we’re looking forward to some great games.” (UH)

About scheduling the four-game series with UH, Army Athletics Director Kevin Anderson said:
“We’re very excited to announce this four-game series with the University of Hawai‘i. We have a very strong following in the state of Hawai‘i and we look forward to giving our soldiers at Schofield Barracks an opportunity to see their football team in person. Having those late games in 2013 and 2019 also help fill a void that was created when we elected to move the Army-Navy game back one week in the calendar. It is very important that we add a game after Thanksgiving in certain years. This series helps us avoid a three-week layoff heading into the Navy game in those years we travel to Hawai‘i.” (UH)

UH Note: “The teams’ only meeting was Nov. 22, 2003 in Honolulu with the Warriors prevailing 59-28 at Aloha Stadium. The series will be a homecoming of sorts for Army head coach Rich Ellerson, a former Warrior linebacker (1974, ’76-77) and defensive coordinator (1987-91).”

About bringing his Army team to Hawaii, Army coach Rich Ellerson said:
“Obviously there is a tremendous military presence in the state of Hawai‘i and I have a connection with the University of Hawai‘i. We’ve talked about having a presence west of the Mississippi and Hawai‘i is about as far west of the Mississippi as you can go and still speak English. This is an opportunity for us to engage in a part of the country where we aren’t as well-known. Three weeks off before the Navy game is just too much of a layoff. When the calendar presents that situation, it’s very important to try and schedule a game after Thanksgiving. We’ll have a bye coming off the trip in both years we travel to Hawai‘i. That’s something that I think is important when you play there. This will help to provide a little extra continuity between the regular season and the Navy game. I think this an opportunity, and it’s healthy for a lot of reasons.” (UH)

About playing Army, Mac said:
“We’re excited about this opportunity to play Army. I’ve got the utmost respect for their program. I’ve known Rich Ellerson for years and he’s an outstanding coach. With the large military presence here in Hawai‘i, it seems like a natural fit to schedule those programs like we’ve done with Navy this upcoming season.” (UH)

http://hawaiiathletics.com/news/2009/5/19/FB_0519090401.aspx

Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo discuss Miami drafting two WRs

PBP = Palm Beach Post

Asked about Miami drafting WRs Patrick Turner from USC and Brian Hartline from Ohio State, Bess said:
“Obviously we took a lot of criticism last season for not having enough depth, so we knew something was going to happen eventually. But at the same time this raises (expectations), to go out and be the best we can be.” (PBP)

About the WRs they drafted, Camarillo said that he was:
“impressed with the people we picked up. With these coaches the whole theme is competition. Competition brings out the best in each position and bettering the team through that. That’s what they did. They brought in some corners to compete, and they brought in receivers to compete, and we all know we’re going to be fighting for playing time.” (PBP)

About all the experts who said that Miami didn’t have enough talent at the WR position, Camarillo said:
“I’ve always been used to being an underdog, people telling me I wasn’t talented enough. People said going into last year that we didn’t have enough talented receivers. But you saw the production in our passing game, so it obviously was a solid group of receivers. We don’t need a big name; we know we have big talent. We needed depth and they went and picked up some talent there, so it’ll be interesting to see how everything works out.” (PBP)

PBP Note: “Camarillo and Bess finished second and third behind Ted Ginn Jr. in receptions, but just barely. Ginn finished with 56 catches, Camarillo 55 and Bess 54. While Camarillo has some job security after signing a three-year, $6 million extension just before he was injured while trying to make a tackle after an interception against New England last November, Bess knows he’ll have to prove himself, just as he did after coming to the team a year ago as a free agent out of Hawaii.”

About fighting to keep his job with the Dolphins, Bess said:
“I’m taking it the same exact way I did last year. I don’t want to change anything. My drive, my work ethic, my determination and my focus got me through the season last year, so I want to approach the season this year the way I did last.” (PBP)

PBP Note: “Like Bess, Hartline is billed as a possession receiver. Bess said he looks forward to the competition if, as he could be the case, the two wind up fighting for one job.”

About Hartline (drafted in the 4th round), who will be competing him for the slot receiver position, Bess said:
“I know he’s an excellent athlete. The competition is going to be there, and when the dust settles we’ll see who’s here and who worked hard to get a spot on the team. I’m looking forward to it. There’s no grudges at all; I’m going to help him as much as I can. That’s the kind of player I am. “ (PBP)

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thedailydolphin/2009/05/17/greg-camarillo-davone-bess-discuss-receiver-competition/

The Browns want to use both David Veikune and Kaluka Maiava at inside LB

SC = scout.com

SC Note: “Veikune was an end at Hawaii. He is being converted to inside linebacker. Kaluka Maiava was an outside linebacker at Southern California. He will play inside linebacker with the Browns. Two key free-agent signings and former Jets — Eric Barton and David Bowens — are linebackers. Barton is the projected starter inside next to D’Qwell Jackson and Bowens is a contender to start at left outside linebacker.”

Praising Veikune’s adjustment to LB, Eric Mangini said:
“It has been positive. His change-of-direction (agility), his ability to communicate the defense and his understanding of concepts has all been good. I brought him up to the board in the squad meeting and he had to draw a full blitz with everyone — defensive linemen, linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks. He got it right. He nailed it.” (SC)

http://cle.scout.com/2/865203.html

Pro Football Weekly feature on David Veikune

PFW = Pro Football Weekly

PFW Note: “Browns rookie David Veikune is making the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker, but the second-round pick from Hawaii does bring some experience in pass coverage — perhaps the biggest challenge for a player making such a position switch. Veikune occasionally dropped into coverage when the Warriors played “zone-dog” defenses in passing situations. In such a scheme, the Warriors blitz five players and have six players drop into coverage, with a defensive end and a linebacker responsible for the receivers running underneath while the cornerbacks and safeties play over the top.”

About how Veikune would drop into pass coverage and in their “zone-dog” D, UH DL coach Dave Aranda said:
“He would make the drop according to what he saw.” (PFW)

Note: Aranda told PFW that Veikune was the hardest-working player he had ever coached.

About Veikune’s movement skills at their rookie minicamp, head coach Eric Mangini said:
““I’ve been really happy with what I’ve seen. He is fluid for someone his size, for someone who has limited exposure to standing up. (PFW)

PFW Note: “Aranda told PFW that playing the run shouldn’t be a problem for Veikune, either, even after playing in the pass-happy Western Athletic Conference, noting that Veikune uses his hands well and plays with physicality.”

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/AFC/AFC+North/Cleveland/WWHI/2009/wwhi051509.htm

Jon Medeiros was awarded a scholarship!

About awarding their final football scholarship to Jon Medeiros (who finished the spring as their #1 left slotback), Mac said:
“He’s a good student, a hard worker and a good person.” (HA)

HA Note: “Medeiros takes the bus every day to make the daily round trip between Kapolei and UH. He also is employed as a UH maintenance worker. McMackin said the Warriors have allotted all of their scholarships. The situation will change only if some recruits do not enroll during the fall semester.”

http://warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com/2009/05/14/volleyball-interviews-today/comment-page-2/#comment-309668

UH asks to receive a portion of the revenue football games generate for Aloha Stadium

HA Note: “The University of Hawai’i athletic department has asked the Aloha Stadium Authority to consider some form of financial relief, including a “profit-sharing” plan under which the school might receive a portion of the revenue its football games help generate.”

About UH’s request for “profit-sharing”, Aloha Stadium authority chairman Kevin Chong Kee said:
“We’re looking to see what can be done to help the UH athletic program.” (HA)

HA Note: “UH was not charged rent at the Halawa facility for the 2008 season but paid $778,592 in so-called “out-of-pocket” expenses, according to the school.”

HA Note: “Donovan has told regents that UH is the only school in the nine-member Western Athletic Conference that does not receive concessions, parking or signage revenue from its football venue and is the only one without a student athletic fee. Until the 2006 season UH paid rent and expenses for its use of Aloha Stadium. But beginning with the 2006 season the authority agreed to rescind the rent when financial conditions permitted. UH had been paying approximately $300,000 per season under a formula that called for the school to be assessed $10,000 or 7.5 percent of ticket sales per game, whichever was greater. The stadium regularly generates a surplus, often somewhere between $1 million and $2.5 million per year, though the legislature sometimes “sweeps” much of it for other state use.”

About how UH should share in the profits made by Aloha Stadium since it is a major tenant, JD said:
“My logic is that we’re bringing in the lion’s share of the revenue from sports (events) that actually use the stadium. And, it is imperative for us to be a success in Division I football.” (HA)

HA Note: “Chong Kee said the authority may have to amend the administrative rules it operates under to accommodate UH, a review that is under way. Chong Kee said it might be possible to have something in place in time for the upcoming season.”

HA Note: “UH was charged $104,846 in combined cleanup and refuse disposal costs for the 2008 season, an average of $14,978 per game.”

http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090513/SPORTS0201/905130381/1312&template=UHSports

Davone Bess loves that Pat White will run their Wildcat offense

About having Pat White run their Wildcat offense, Bess said:
“This will take our team to another level.” (Miami Herald)

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/story/1045271.html