With a lifetime association with the national pastime, San Jose State baseball coach Dave Nakama always hoped his two sons would join the diamond business.
"That showed what kind of baseball coach I am," he said. "I drove my two boys out of baseball."
His sons are both Division I football long-snappers — Kirk Nakama at Western Michigan, Brodie Nakama at Hawaii.
At their Bay Area high school "there was a need for long-snappers, and both volunteered," Dave said. "It’s fun to have your kids play Division I athletics."
Dave will be attending the football game between San Jose State and UH on Saturday at Aloha Stadium. He said he was granted a seat on the Spartans’ charter flight to Honolulu.
"I’m excited about it," Dave said. "I think I have to find my own way back."
The Nakamas, who were living in the Bay Area, attended the 2007 game in which quarterback Colt Brennan rallied UH to a victory over San Jose State.
"It was a mud bowl," Dave recalled of the game at Spartan Stadium. "It was sloppy and wet and rainy and all those things. My sons got hooked on that Colt Brennan year. Grandma got them all those Colt Brennan shirts. They were very much influenced from their grandparents and relatives in Hawaii."
For Saturday’s game, Dave has a bipartisan rooting interest.
"We’ve always been University of Hawaii football fans," Dave said. "But San Jose State puts food on our table."
Although Dave is a 1980 Kaiser High graduate, his children grew up on the mainland. Dave was the Mission Junior College head coach during the school year while coaching the Hawaii Island Movers in the summer. He was an assistant at Washington and Stanford before being named San Jose State’s head coach this year.
Brodie, who learned long-snapping techniques from his older brother, wanted to continue his football career in college. Brodie applied — and was accepted — into UH in May. Then Dave asked the UH baseball coaches if they would pass Brodie’s highlight videos to the football coaches.
"He was already in school, so it was no harm, no foul," UH head coach Norm Chow said.
By the end of the first week of training camp, Brodie was the No. 1 snapper on field-goal attempts and point-after kicks.
"He’s a neat kid, and we’re happy to have him," Chow said. "He does a good job."
Brodie said coming to Hawaii "was a dream."
"He has a lot of love for Hawaii," Dave said. "He loves the people, the culture, everything."
As for Chris Demarest, UH’s boisterous special teams coordinator, Brodie said: "I really like coach Demo. He stresses attention to detail."
"That’s good," Dave said. "I told him: ‘Just be a good teammate. Don’t worry if you’re the star or don’t play. Be a good teammate. That’s hard to find.’"
Brodie said weekdays are a ritual of practices, meetings, classes and more meetings. He spends Sundays with grandparents George and Grace Nakama in Hawaii Kai.
"Having Brodie around is a huge thing for my parents," Dave said.
It also is a boost for the Rainbow Warriors.
"As soon as Brodie got to Hawaii, my mom bought season tickets," Dave said.
