Warrior Beat

Congrats to Mike Edwards, who was named the MWC’s special teams player of the year. He is the first UH player to win such an honor since kicker Jason Elam in 1992. Edwards was named to the MWC first team as a specialist and second team as a cornerback. He was sixth nationally in kickoff returns, averaging 30.4 yards per attempt. Defensive end Paipai Falemalu and punter Alex Dunnachie were named to the second team. Center Ben Clarke and defensive […]

It was quite the luau last night — an event to mark the end of the 2012 season and the start of the offseason program. As expected, cornerback/returner Mike Edwards was named the Warriors’ most valuable player. Click on the link: Mike Edwards video. Edwards has come a long way from when he first joined the Warriors in the summer of 2011. For the second year in a row, he played through an injury. But this year he showed his […]

When the clock struck “0:00” last night, the offseason officially began for the Warriors. The Warriors’ active roster expands. As UH coach Norm Chow said: “The redshirts are no longer redshirts.” Quarterbacks Taylor Graham and Ikaika Woolsey, running back Steven Lakalaka, offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi, defensive linemen Iuta Tepa and Mike Andrade, and cornerback Brian Clay are officially in the race for playing time. The UH coaches, who had spent a large part of their time recruiting, will be focused solely […]

Norm Chow’s first UH season ends tonight. If anything, it was interesting. * * * * * A reminder that 17 seniors will be introduced before the game. After the game, fans, friends, family and, even, strangers may  interact with the players to give lei, pose for photos or just talk. The seniors: • Keao Alo • Haku Correa • Siaki Cravens • Alex Dunnachie • Rykin Enos • Paipai Falemalu • Geordon Hanohano • Luke Ingram • Sterling Jackson […]

Offensive lineman Kapua Sai is retiring from football after suffering yet another concussion. He had a season of eligibility remaining. “For safety reasons and for later on in life, I need to do this,” Sai said. Sai said he had “quite a few” concussions “in middle school and high school.” He said he suffered from mild concussion-like symptoms earlier this year. He suffered his recent concussion against UNLV this past week. “You don’t want to take chances,” UH coach Norm […]

When you’re the son of a local athletic legend with the same name, the expectations can be daunting. But Leroy Lutu Jr. managed to find his own path. Both father and son were standout basketball players in high school. But it was Lutu Jr. who played the sport in college, as a Rainbow Warrior walk-on. While the father had a successful football career at Washington, the son started his own gridiron career from scratch. He joined the Warriors with more […]

It’s still early, of course, and there are a lot of factors that still could come into play, but as of now, cornerback/returner Mike Edwards is leaning toward returning for his senior season in 2013. “It might be the best thing, not only for me but for my family,” Edwards said. Edwards, who has two sons, said he would like to earn a bachelor’s degree. He also said he could benefit from another college season. Edwards will not make a […]

Former Warrior defensive back Richard Torres and Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn are top candidates to join the Warriors as graduate-assistant coaches in January. The holdup, as with most things involving UH, is the procedure. While a GA has the same financial value as a player — scholarship that includes tuition, school expenses and a monthly stipend — in the view of the school, it is considered a job. And like all campus jobs, HR and other departments are involved. If […]