Seventh-year pro Vince Manuwai (pictured) sat down with jaguars.com to discuss his favorite food, the position he would play if he didn’t weigh 300-plus pounds and how he uses a saying in Hawaii to keep him motivated.
CSI. I like the suspense and trying to figure out who did the crime.
Favorite meal?
Eggs. I can eat eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
How do you like your eggs?
Sometimes I eat them over easy, sometimes scrambled.
What is a talent you wish you had?
Probably singing.
What was your first job?
I sold newspapers when I was in the eight-to-ten year-old range.
What did it pay?
Back then a newspaper cost about 35 cents so I made about seven cents on the paper plus tips.
Pet peeves?
I don’t like it when people say they’re going to do something and they don’t do it.
Who is the most influential person in your life?
My uncle. He supported me in everything I did and always gave me things I needed. He was one of those guys where if I asked for something, he’d give me whatever I needed, no questions asked. He was the only one who came to all of my high school games, college games and he comes to my NFL games. I learned how to succeed from him.
What other position would you want to play?
Probably D-line because of my size.
What if size wasn’t an issue?
Running back or safety.
What kind of an animal would you be?
A tiger.
What do you want to do after you’re done playing football?
Coach high school football. Coaching college or NFL would be tough with all of the travel.
Do you want to go back to Hawaii to coach high school?
Definitely. And coaching high school would allow me to be part of my kids’ lives more. I don’t want to put them through the lifestyle of coaching in college or the NFL. High school gives you more time. It isn’t a grueling schedule where you have to watch a bunch of film and go recruiting. I also want to watch my kids and see how they develop.
What is your motto?
One thing they say in Hawaii is, ‘Eddie would go.’ (Eddie Aikau) is the big-time surfer there. He used to surf the big waves, like 35 to 40 feet waves. Every time he surfed, one of the other surfers would say, ‘Eddie would go’ because he always went up against the big waves. When they use that saying, no matter how big the challenge is, you can do it. If I have to block someone that made it to the Pro Bowl for like nine straight years, I say ‘Eddie would go.’
