| MOBILE,
Ala. — First things first. His name is spelled K-A-U-L-A-N-A. Got that?
The folks who organize the Hula Bowl didn't, and that's one of the reasons that Kaulana
Noa is at the Senior Bowl.
Noa is one of the top-rated offensive linemen in the nation, and he has traveled from
his native Hawaii to Mobile, Ala., to show off his stuff to NFL scouts, coaches and
general managers. He was invited to both the Senior Bowl and the Hula Bowl, but there was
a problem with his invitation from the latter.
"There was no question I was coming to the Senior Bowl," said Noa, dripping
sweat after a spirited workout. "And the Hula Bowl spelled my name wrong on the
invitation. If they really want to invite a guy, they ought to get those things
right."
This guy knows how to carry a grudge, not a bad trait for an offensive lineman.
What makes this story even more interesting is the fact that the University of Hawaii
is represented by three players at the most prestigious of college all-star games. Noa is
joined by teammates Adrian Klemm (offensive lineman) and Jeff Ulbrich (linebacker).
Noa attributes the fact that the Pacific contingent received the Senior Bowl nods to
the revitalization of the Hawaii program under new head coach June Jones.
"I knew our team had some talent," said Noa. "And we've been winning
this year, so more people came to attention. More people got to see us play, and they saw
the talent."
Noa and his two teammates aren't the only folks from Hawaii to come to Mobile. He
brought along quite a contingent.
"There are about nine family members who came to support Kaulana in his dreams and
his quest for the future," said his mother, Dagmar.
Also in attendence are his father, Ron, girlfiend Robin Wainui, his high school coach
Rick Sakata, among others. Noa's fans attended all of the practices, standing around the
field with the hundreds of NFL coaches and personnel staffers.
While talking with a writer, the father abruptly — but politely — cut off the
interview to watch his son perform in drills. Quite the supportive parents, Ron and Dagmar
traveled from their home on the big island of Hawaii to Oahu for all of Noa's home games.
It didn't come easy, as it involved a one-hour drive and then a $100 flight, but they had
to see their son compete.
And with his big chance this week, the parents weren't about to miss him make an
impression on NFL scouts. They flew eight hours from Honolulu to Atlanta, and then another
hour to Mobile. They believe it was well worth the cost and energy to see their son work
with NFL coaches for the first time.
So, how is Noa taking to NFL coaching?
By the looks of it, things are going well.
"They give you little things, like little different steps and what to look
for," said Noa. And with the new offense, we're still learning the plays, and we're
learning new plays every day. We're just trying to get used to this offense for this week
and just listen to our (position) coach and what he says. Mostly, it motivates us to do
better."
Noa, like all of the participants in the Senior Bowl, is taking the next step. These
players are graduating from the college game to the pro game. When asked how he thinks
things will shape up for him, he wouldn't venture a guess as to where he would be drafted.
He did offer up the fact that he has been interviewed by Chicago and Green Bay.
You can be sure that the Bears and Packers know how to spell his name. |
