Aaitui Peaking @ Right Time For Rebels

For UNLV senior defensive tackle Isaako Aaitui, there are only two places he could have wound up at this point in his life: On the football field or on the farm back home in American Samoa.

"I really like this option," he said with a grin following Saturday morning's practice in Ely. "Football is life, especially when you're from the islands. Football is the ticket to success."

Despite the fact that he's playing with a torn ACL in his left knee and a cast on his left forearm, Aaitui couldn't be happier.

To explain why, you first have to go back to 2007, when Aaitui first arrived at UNLV. He'd only played one year of high school football, had never lifted a weight in his life and didn't speak a lick of English.

At 220 pounds, his body had been trained to play rugby — his sport of choice since the third grade — but that's not a sport he could realistically go back to now.

After just a year in the weights program at UNLV, he ballooned to 290 pounds. Now, entering his final season as a Rebel, he's a 315-pound mountain of pure muscle, expected to be the anchor for a revamped defense under first-year coach Bobby Hauck.
Oh yeah, and he's also fluent in English.

"When I first got here, I had no technique. I came over with nothing," he said. "It took some years to develop. Last year, I started to learn how to rush the passer and everything. It's been a pretty good progression."

Aaitui had what Hauck called one of the most impressive spring camps of anyone on his inherited ball club and again is drawing rave reviews so far through fall camp.

What makes it all so impressive, too, is that he was able to overcome a major physical hurdle late in spring ball when he hurt the knee in a standard drill working against the offensive line.

It's an injury that typically requires immediate surgery and roughly six months of rehab.

"When I hurt my knee, it was a big deal. It was a big deal. I was thinking about my family ... It was a big thing," he recalled. "I told the doctor to give me two weeks to rehab. After two weeks, I was running with the team and doing drills.

"I'm able to play with it. It doesn't bother me."

Playing with a torn ACL typically means that lateral movement will be most affected. However, in his position, Aaitui is asked to push piles, collapse pockets and essentially play downhill. It's a role he can also fill with the cast that he had applied for an undisclosed injury between practices on Saturday.

"I was really impressed with him about the middle of February," Hauck said. "It's like the light when on, he picked it up, and I've been overly impressed with him.

"For a big guy, he's pretty dynamic in the pass rush and gets off the ball pretty well. When you see a guy who looks like him, you'd think run-stopper and then bring somebody in for him when we're in the nickel (package). But you really don't have to, because he's pretty good off the ball."

He's finally found a home at the tackle spot after flip-flopping between there and defensive end over the past couple of years under Mike Sanford's staff.

Aaitui recorded 31 tackles and 2.5 for losses in 2009 and is expected to post even bigger numbers this year.

He'll be doing so under some watchful eyes, as he's regarded now as a legitimate NFL prospect. Just the mention of playing after college brings a smile to his face.

After his playing days are done, he said, the thought of coaching has crossed his mind.

Aaitui is already showing signs that it could be a legitimate career path. He has commanded the attention of the younger interior linemen and is a natural example for them to follow. It was the case following Friday's morning session, when he spent roughly 15 minutes doing some extra work with freshman Nate Holloway.
It's the natural leadership that the coaching staff also thinks will help the unit overall right from go.

"With our senior leadership, we don't want a single bad rep on film, and that's what we challenged with them. He's really bought into that, and that's awesome," defensive coordinator Kraig Paulson said. "What we try and stress on both sides of the ball is it's more on how you play, and he's really tried to craft that. We needed a profile guy like that to step up and have that great film on a day-to-day basis. The benefits are exponential."

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Asiata Has Been On Amazing Journey

From New Zealand to Hawaii to UNLV, Asiata now hoping to stick with Bears 

Earlier this offseason, Johan Asiata was so engrossed in his present that he didn't fantasize about his future.
The Bears guard, who was undrafted in 2009, watched veterans such as Olin Kreutz and Roberto Garza in the weight room, peppered defensive tackle Tommie Harris with questions and soaked in all the teaching from new offensive line coach Mike Tice.

Yet over and over again, at practices during minicamp and organized team activities, Asiata discovered himself in a most unexpected position.

''I'm down in my stance, and I see Jay Cutler behind me,'' Asiata said. ''Then I'm looking next to me, and there's Chris Williams.

''I was like, 'Whoa!' ''

Asiata's ascension defies convention, whether he does or doesn't start the season at left guard. He didn't start playing football until his freshman year at Yuba Community College in California, and he didn't start mastering the intricacies of the sport until he transferred to UNLV in 2006.

''It's incredible to see how he's progressed as a football player,'' said former UNLV offensive line coach Gary Bernardi, who developed standout linemen such as Tony Boselli and Jonathan Ogden. ''The first three to six months, he didn't know how to watch film.''

Added agent Joe Palumbo, ''A lot of times, the chips have to all fall into place, and they often don't.
''But in his case, it did.''

Technique notwithstanding, Asiata always could do one thing: Move men.

''You could tell he didn't know what he was doing sometimes,'' Bernardi said of Asiata's film at Yuba, ''but he was literally throwing guys around.''

Born in New Zealand, Asiata initially played rugby as a boy. But after he moved to Hawaii with his father and three siblings, Asiata strayed and surrendered to what he described as the ''street life.''

But his life changed during a six-month stint in Honolulu at the Hawaii Youth ChalleNGe Academy, which is designed for ''at-risk/ non-traditional students,'' and he realized his passion shortly thereafter.

''I just like to hit people -- that's basically it,'' Asiata said of football. ''I don't get arrested for hitting people, so thank God for that.''

 

Turning point approaches

Francois Asiata said he and his younger siblings had ''a good life'' in New Zealand.

But their parents had marital problems, and a judge in Samoa gave custody of the children to their father, Taeao.

''Back home in New Zealand, I wasn't really close to my kids,'' Taeao said. ''I was so angry and emotional in my life and marriage.''

But he uprooted his family for Hawaii because of the opportunities.

''I wanted to see them grow, and see what they wanted to do in life,'' he said.

Taeao was strict --''he was no-nonsense, and he would spank us Samoan style,'' Johan said -- but he couldn't closely track his kids. He needed two full-time security jobs to support his children, working one shift from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and then starting his second from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. He couldn't afford a car, so he rode the bus to their home in the projects, made his children dinner and then slept for three hours before starting the cycle all over again.

But despite the financial challenges, Taeao would cook grand feasts like Samoan chop suey and baked garlic and ginger chicken for his children while often taking two slices of bread to work for lunch.

''As long as we had food on the table, I didn't think we were struggling,'' Johan said.

Taeao was shocked when a high school counselor called him and informed him of Johan's long list of transgressions -- which included cutting class and disrespecting teachers -- and recommended Hawaii Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

''To be honest, I wasn't aware of a lot of stuff that was going on,'' Taeao said. ''That really hurt me so much, when I found out.

''The school never called before. This could have been corrected earlier.''

But Johan experienced a first when his father dropped him off at the academy.

He saw his father cry.

''That hit me hard,'' Johan said. ''I said, 'Man, I'm going to do my best to be better.' ''

The school, encircled by 20-foot-high barbed-wire fences, demanded responsibility and accountability, with students waking up at 5:30 a.m. and running from Point A to Point B.

''It was hard,'' said Johan, who had his long hair chopped short. ''Sergeants just yelling at you, trying to break you down.

''Everything you do, you had to ask first.''

 

It's time to try football

But Johan thrived, being appointed a leader of his squadron. And while there, Johan's brother made a bold prediction to a friend who worked at the academy.

''Out of nowhere,'' Francois recalled, ''I told him, 'Dude, my brother is going to the NFL. Just trust me.' ''

Yet no one in their family -- including Johan -- had seriously played football. They were a rugby family.

''I played rugby for a few years, but I used to get penalized for high tackles,'' Johan said. ''I just ran and hit people.''

After getting high marks on an Armed Forces multi-aptitude test, Johan planned to join the Air Force following his graduation from the Youth ChalleNGe Academy. But during the summer, he bumped into a church friend named Lorgan Pau who was playing football at Yuba Community College.

''When he came back, everyone talked about him,'' Johan recalled. ''I just looked at that like, 'Wow.'

''People would say, 'Man, you're pretty big; you should play football, too.' ''

So Johan purchased a one-way ticket to Sacramento, Calif., for $450 and left with about $300 in cash and a duffel bag of clothes. When 49ers coach Ted Hoal asked him where he wanted to eat, Johan picked Denny's, where he ate plate after plate of pumpkin pancakes.

''He was just going to town,'' Hoal said. ''They just kept bringing them out.''

Countless young men come to Hoal looking for a chance to play on his football team, but many are rebuffed after that initial meeting.

''If it doesn't go well, there are four or five hotels around the airport, and you send them back home," Hoal said.

But Hoal was impressed by Johan's candidness about his past and his willingness to do ''what you want me to.''

Even special teams.

Johan didn't know what he was doing, but he liked to hit people.

''Pummel -- no technique or nothing,'' Johan said. ''Just pummel.''

He helped the 49ers win consecutive conference titles, and he drew interest from several major programs. But only UNLV was willing to persevere in dealing with Asiata's academic eligibility issues. He red-shirted his first year there, focusing on academics, lowering his body fat and learning the nuances of the game.

Bernardi worked closely with Johan, guiding him on and off the field, and he projected his NFL potential.

''I didn't believe in myself,'' Johan said. ''People [in Hawaii] thought I was in jail or doing some bad things.''

Composure a big plus

Taeao is proud of Johan's turnaround, though he never has seen his son play in a football game.

''That's something I really want to do this year,'' Taeao said.

Tice said the battle to start at left guard is ''wide open,'' noting that Josh Beekman and Lance Louis weren't afforded a chance to make an impression at the position this offseason. But Tice said he's already been impressed with Asiata's composure.

''The thing that jumps out at me the most, for a young player who hasn't played, he's shown amazing poise,'' Tice said of the 6-4, 300-pounder. ''He makes mistakes -- and all young guys do -- but he doesn't get rattled.

''Most of the time, when young guys make a mistake, they compound that and rattle off three or four in a row. But Johan hasn't done that.''

Johan knows there are no guarantees, but he's grateful to the Bears for even giving him a chance.

''To be a part of their team means a lot,'' he said. ''I'm thankful, but I'm not going to take it for granted. I'm going to go hard -- or go home.''

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UNLV May Have Hit Recruiting Jackpot With Hawaiian Transplant

Pac-10 schools such as Cal, Oregon State and Washington heavily recruited Desmond Tautofi after his junior season of high school football at Kaimuki High in Honolulu.

But after moving to Las Vegas in August and being ruled ineligible by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, the 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive lineman fell off the recruiting map.

Not for new UNLV coach Bobby Hauck.

Tautofi, who attends 2A classification Calvary Chapel in Las Vegas, visited UNLV this weekend with six other locals and committed to the Rebels on Sunday after his trip. He joins Green Valley High kicker Nolan Kohorst, Bishop Gorman defensive back Taylor Spencer and Desert Pines wide receiver Eric Tuiloma, who also committed Sunday.

Calvary Chapel coach Cliff Frazier, who has been coaching in Las Vegas since the early 1980s, said he feels the Rebels have a steal in Tautofi, who practiced most of the season with Calvary Chapel.

"There is not much the kid can't do," Frazier said. "He's agile, agile, agile. He could have played quarterback, and been one of the best in town, if he wanted to."

He'll line up on defense for UNLV, and, after taking a year off, is eager to strap on his shoulder pads.

"I like contact. I like getting in peoples' faces and getting all of my strength into them," Tautofi said. "I like when the opposing team is scared of me. That's how it was. I was that guy who was always beating up other guys. But I'm a cool dude — until the ball is snapped."

Tautofi moved to Las Vegas to live his brother, Robert Tautofi, an assistant coach with Calvary Chapel and former player at UCLA.

But the association never cleared him and he wound up missing his entire senior year. That scared off recruiters from other schools.

"The kid was just a stud in Hawaii," Frazier said. "There is not much he can't do. He's just so quick off the ball."

Tautofi is a two-star recruit by scouting service Rivals.com and two-time all-state selection in football, basketball and volleyball. He also helped Kaimuki win the state basketball crown as a freshman.

"His footwork for the most part is exceptional," David Tautofi said. "He just has a world of talent."
Desmond Tautofi initially gave a soft verbal commitment to Wyoming as a sophomore — a shock to most recruiting experts — but the Cowboys also backed off once he was ruled ineligible.

UNLV turned out being the perfect match — and the lone school that didn't pull its scholarship offer.
"I always wanted to be a Rebel," Tautofi said. "I went to all of their games this year and wished I was on the field hitting people. I'm grateful coach Hauck didn't care what happened to me and went off film from my junior year."

Tautofi said Hauck preached during the weekend visit about transforming the program into something the community can be proud off. Tautofi is eager for that opportunity.
"One of the biggest reasons why I committed to UNLV was to give the Rebel Nation something to be excited about," he said. "When coach Hauck says we are going to win, it's not a suggestion. It's a guarantee."

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Defensive Overhaul Shows Promise @ Rebels Camp

Juniors Malo Taumua and Isaako Aaitui traded places, with Taumua moving to end and Aaitui to tackle.

"I'm still learning it," Aaitui said. "It's kind of difficult coming from big end to inside. (But) I feel really good about it."

To add depth, junior Ramsey Feagai was moved from second-team offensive guard to backup defensive tackle.

In camp, at least, the changes appear to have paid off. The players are bigger, more athletic and have made plays.

When the team broke camp in Ely last year, the coaches had real concerns about the defense, particularly at safety, that turned out to be well-founded.

Not all of the answers have been found, but there don't appear to be as many nagging questions this year.

"Our defense is making it harder on our offense," coach Mike Sanford said. "It's harder to complete passes. It's harder to make first downs. I like how our secondary has played.

"I also like how our defensive front is rushing the passer, and how they're defending the run, too."

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Manley, Fehoko Shine Early

After its first two days, the inaugural All-Poly football camp in Hawaii appears to be living up to its billing of becoming a productive camp on the island each year. With its impressive showing of more than 200 players, the camp has provided a stage for prospective student-athletes to showcase their athletic prowess while learning about college life away from the field.

What makes the All-Poly camp unique is its focus on academics, standardized and entrance tests, core curriculum requirements and other topics needed to prepare and qualify student-athletes for college. On Monday, before any on-field workouts, each participant and some family members took part in a four-hour workshop outlining the aforementioned areas of off-field importance.

The focus of the All-Poly camp is not only football, but also informing these young men about the importance of what is necessary off the field to continue their college careers.

"This is an opportunity to educate kids of Polynesian descent on what it takes to become a prospective college football player not only on the field but off," said UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow, a former Hawaii resident who attended high school on the island of Oahu.

Chow was one of 20 Division I and II coaches on hand to instruct, mentor and in many cases give back to their roots. Staff members from Colorado, Oregon State, Utah, UNLV, Boise State, Washington, UCLA, Texas Tech, Louisville and BYU, among others, were in attendance to organize, coach and educate an impressive group of collective talent.

The on-field workouts mirrored classroom education with regard to laying the foundation of the basic principles of the game. Prospects took part in individual drills and group work and eventually were divided into teams that would compete and practice against each other throughout the first two days. Before the workout Monday, athletes were led through dynamic stretching and warm-up routines. The speed training was led by Tom Shaw, a highly regarded strength and conditioning coach with an NFL pedigree.

Shaw was not the only representative on hand with NFL ties. Newly appointed New York Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine lectured on the importance of playing the game fast, physically and with a lot of energy. Pettine talked about his coaching days with the Baltimore Ravens and the motors and chase speed encompassed by that defense led by All-Pro defenders like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

Pettine made a reference to his prior defense by saying the Ravens' motto was "Play like your hair is on fire." The players at this camp have certainly kept that type of intensity going.

The coaches and instructors were teaching the concept of "thud" (making contact but staying off the ground) the first two days, but with players like these, there's only one speed: 93 octane.

As we scouted the various position groups, the linebacker unit appeared to have the best depth and overall talent thus far. It was led by V.J. Fehoko (Kahuku, Hawaii), a 2010 Under Armour All-America Game selection. After an impressive showing at the All-Poly football camp in Utah last month, Fehoko continued to show why he's considered the top prospect on the island this year. While he's not the biggest or fastest on paper, he simply found the football quickly during nine-on-seven drills, showing reactive athleticism as well as great physicality and strength filling at the point of attack.

Not to be overshadowed on the offensive side, quarterback Andrew Manley (Wahiawa, Hawaii/Leilehua) physically warrants far more recruiting interest than he has received to date. Given his impressive measurables, arm strength, quick release and velocity, it's staggering that this young man only has one offer so far, from WAC member Hawaii. At this stage, Manley is clearly worthy of lower-tier BCS conference offers and multiple non-BCS offers. Manley is not of Polynesian descent but is a Hawaii resident who, based on physical tools alone, is flying under the radar.

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Arrival of Frank Summers to Revive Fullback Dive

The greatest things a fan can see in football are safeties, punts with two minutes remaining in the game from teams trailing by 28 points, and the fullback dive.

While weaknesses on a Super Bowl champion are not easy to find, it could be said that the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers were less than effective in short yardage situations. Willie Parker isn’t exactly the sort of back one wants to plow up the middle with the defense overloading the box.

Which makes the return of Rashard Mendenhall (5'10", 225 pounds, 16 heavier than Parker) and the arrival of fifth-round draft choice Frank Summers (5'9", 241 pounds) so important.

The fullback dive will be back!

Technically there aren’t that many fullbacks anymore. The I formation has long been considered blasé and obsolete by the NFL.

But as long as we have 4th-and-1 in football, there will be a need to have the running back dive into the line.

And the Steelers weren’t very good at that last season. They were an NFL-worst 3-of-12 on fourth-down conversions and 3-for-14 including the postseason.

By comparison, the second-worst team in the NFL converting fourth downs in 2008 was the Carolina Panthers, who converted 38 percent of their regular season attempts compared to the Steelers’ 25.

Yes, a fourth-down conversion would seem to be an irrelevancy if the offense did their job on the first three downs. The success of both the Steelers and Panthers in 2008 proves this.

But the Steelers' inability to pick up 4th-and-1 did hurt them in 2008.

Against Indianapolis on Nov. 9, the Steelers and Colts were tied 17-17 when Pittsburgh faced second and goal at the one-yard line midway through the fourth quarter. Two runs by Mewelde Moore failed, and the Steelers resorted to a Jeff Reed chip shot to take the lead.

Which would have been fine, except that two possessions later Peyton Manning took advantage of a short field by hitting Dominic Rhodes with a 17-yard touchdown pass.

For want of a yard, a game was lost, 24-20.

The next week in the second quarter against the Chargers, Moore again couldn’t pound it in from the one, and this time on fourth down. Thankfully, James Harrison responded by sacking Phil Rivers two plays later for a safety, eventually resulting in the winning points in an 11-10 victory.

Without Harrison’s heroics, the game is likely lost.

Let’s not forget Gary Russell’s inability to get into the end zone on fourth and goal from the one against Dallas on Dec. 7.

By the time the Super Bowl rolled around, head coach Mike Tomlin wasn’t taking any chances.

Ben Roethlisberger didn’t break the plane on the opening drive? It’s fourth and goal from the one?

Hello, Skippy. Instead of Pittsburgh instilling their dominance and making a statement on their opening drive, the Cardinals salvaged a positive out of an otherwise poor initial defense performance and were able to stay in the game throughout.

Blame the offensive line all you want—it's worthy criticism, and the Steelers did draft right guard Kraig Urbik in the second round for this reason.

But the running backs can't be ignored, either.

That’s why drafting Summers and Mendenhall’s return are so important. In his lone start before breaking his shoulder, Mendenhall had nine carries in a 23-20 victory against Baltimore on Sept. 29.

Eight of the rushing attempts were between the tackles, excusing an otherwise pedestrian 3.1 yards per carry average in the game. And when Mendenhall did get hurt in the third quarter, the Steelers again faced a third and goal at the one a quarter later.

Again they gave the ball to Moore, and again he was stopped. Instead of clinching the victory, the Steelers' lead was just seven points. The game would go into overtime before Reed kicked a 46-yard field goal for the victory.

Traditionally, “short yardage specialists” have gone on to greater things on the Steelers. Jerome Bettis was supposed to close out his career in this role in 2004; he wound up leading a 15-1 team in rushing and then closed out his career with a starring role on a Super Bowl-champion team the next season.

Frank Pollard (5'10", 218 pounds) was often described as a “short yardage specialist” in the 1980s, a title he backed up by scoring a two-yard touchdown on second effort late in Pittsburgh’s 24-17 victory at Denver in the 1984 playoffs.

And while in hindsight I’m not quite sure what Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala’s role was, I sure was happy when he completed a 17-point comeback against Cleveland in the 2002 playoffs on a three-yard touchdown run with a minute remaining to win 36-33.

Whether or not this fate befalls Mendenhall or Summers remains to be seen.

This, however, is known: Fullback dives, even when they aren’t successful, often wind up as safeties with the opponent gaining possession at the one-yard line—witness the Chargers game.

And when successful, they result in touchdowns and in defeated opponents punting with two minutes left, trailing 35-7.

Yes, in this modern era of zone blitzes and timing patterns, it still all comes back to the fullback dive.

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