The fear gripped Kennedy Tulimasealii.
So much hype, so much hope surrounded the prospect from Waianae High when he joined the Hawaii football team in 2013. In his mind, how could he live up to the expectation of being Norm Chow’s biggest defensive recruit?
"I was just nervous, too nervous," said Tulimasealii, who turned down offers from UCLA and other Pac-12 schools to stay home. "What my actions were … I might make a bad mistake, and just people might (say), ‘Aahh, this guy is just nothing.’ "
One year later, that’s a far cry from the truth. Tulimasealii is considered a rising star in the defense of new coordinator Kevin Clune.
When he went down with an MCL injury in his first fall camp, the left end’s chance to shrug off the doubts — and doubters, real or imagined — was deferred. But he began to prove himself by the end of his freshman year and positioned himself for a breakout sophomore season.
For now, he takes his cues from the three entrenched seniors on the defensive line — right end Beau Yap, nose tackle Moses Samia and utilityman Marcus Malepeai.
"We treat him as a guy our age," Yap said. "We expect him to be mature as a player as we are. We’re trying to speed him up in that kind of way, because he’s going to be the guy next year. All three of us are gone; he’s going to be the leader of the D-line. So, we’re trying to get him into that role. But other than that, he’s doing great on the field. We just couldn’t ask for any more of him."
Tulimasealii is accustomed to receiving advice from his elders. He has four older sisters.
"It was hard and it was kind of irritating, you know, both at the same time," he said. "Did plenty of chores when I grew up — I had to do whatever they said to do. If not I’d get lickings."
He laughed. "Couldn’t do nothing about it. Just had to take the beating."
He’s earned some leeway now that he’s his own man, off to college. But his family is never far behind; a car bearing a Waianae sticker on the back can regularly be seen around UH football practices. Once practice is over, he heads over to the truck; his mother has all the best grinds ready to go for a hungry defensive lineman, while his father, who played volleyball in Western Samoa, offers encouragement.
"It’s very important, just to know that they’re here," Tulimasealii said. "That’s probably one of the main reasons that I stayed here, is I knew I had family backup here. Family is everything. And football is basically a family to me. … Everything that I’m surrounded (by) is all basically family."
There’s something else on the line for Kennedy Tulimasealii besides personal success or failure.
He’s keenly aware of where he’s from. Not just Hawaii, but the Leeward Coast of Oahu.
When he played for Waianae and was a three-time Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State player, he was attempting to buck a negative perception. In fact, he still is.
"Knowing the reputations people think and hear about that particular high school, it means a lot," said Tulimasealii, a Mountain West all-academic selection last year. "Just coming out of that school, knowing that not only (kids from) other schools can make it. And just that school, you know, there’s a lot of negative things that come out of Waianae High School and just coming out from there, knowing and showing everybody that I can actually make it to D-I … words just can’t compare, you know."
Eventually, expectations were no longer such a burden for Tulimasealii. His personality has emerged for his teammates to see.
"He’s goofy," Yap said. "He’s a funny guy … overall good guy."
He let go of his fear and grasped his potential.
 "We have a good mix of older guys and younger guys. … I think we have a lot of depth. Also there’s competition. The younger guys can push, the older guys can make sure that they’re on their P’s and Q’s. Those guys need to be consistent, and then the younger guys gotta get better every single day."
STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES
The depth of the defensive line is one of the most touted aspects of the 2014 Rainbow Warriors. Despite that, the position is still top heavy, with seniors Samia, Yap and the versatile Malepeai. UH will lean heavily on them, and the up-and-coming Tulimasealii, to shoulder the load, while the rest of the crop will provide relief and gain experience.
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