Synopsis: Another football player from Hawai‘i has a chance to win the Heisman trophy.

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu, ‘o ka lā kēia e lilo ai ka Makana Heisman i ka mea pā‘ani pōpō pekupeku ‘oi loa o nā kulanui o ‘Amelika Hui Pū ‘Ia. ‘Ekolu moho e kū nei, ‘o Amari Cooper o Alabama, ‘o Melvin Gordon o Wikonekina a ‘o Marcus Mariota o ‘Olekona.

Ke lana nei ka mana‘o o ko Hawai‘i a o ko ‘Olekona nō ho‘i, e lilo ka makana i kahi keiki o Hawai‘i nei. A hiki i kēia manawa, ‘a‘ole i lilo nei makana i kahi keiki o Hawai‘i nei. He mau moho nō na‘e kekahi mau mea pā‘ani o Hawai‘i nei no ka Heisman. I ka makahiki 2002, ‘o ka helu ‘ehiku ‘o Jason Gesser. I ka makahiki 2006, ‘o ka helu ‘eono ‘o Colt Brennan. I ka makahiki 1946, ‘o ka helu ‘eono ‘o Herman Wedemeyer, a i ka makahiki 1945, ‘o ka helu ‘elima ‘o ia. A i ka makahiki 2007, ‘ane‘ane ‘o Colt Brennan e kā‘ili i ka Heisman. Ma ke kūlana ‘ekolu ‘o ia i ia makahiki.

A i ka makahiki 2012, mai lilo aku i kekahi keiki o Hawai‘i. ‘O Manti Te‘o nō ia. I ka hopena o ka helu ‘ia ‘ana iho o nā pāloka, ‘o Te‘o ka lua, ua lilo ka nui o nā pāloka iā Johnny Manziel.

He mea maopopo i ia manawa, ‘a‘ole paha e lilo iā Te‘o, ‘oiai, he mea pā‘ani kūpale ‘o ia, a kāka‘ikahi ka lilo ‘ana o ka Heisman i ka mea pā‘ani kūpale. ‘Ekolu wale nō manawa i lilo ai ka Heisman i ka mea pā‘ani kūpale, a ‘o ka mea ‘āpiki, ‘a‘ole ma ka ‘ao‘ao kūpale wale nō lākou ‘ekolu i pā‘ani ai, he pā‘ani nō ho‘i kā lākou ma ka ‘ao‘ao kūlele. ‘O Larry Kelley o Yale ka mua i ka makahiki 1936, ‘o Leon Hart o Notre Dame ka lua i ka makahiki 1949, a ‘o Charles Woodson o Mikikana i ka makahiki 1997.

A hiki mai i kēia makahiki nei, aia nō kekahi keiki hou o Hawai‘i ke alualu nei i ka Makana Heisman. A he mea pā‘ani kūlele ‘o ia. A ke nānā aku i kāna hana i ke kikina nei i hala, he nui nā mea e kuhikuhi ana i ke ala Heisman. He 38 āna ‘aiholo i nou ai. A he ‘elua wale nō nou ‘ana i lilo aku i nā lima o ka hoa paio. I kēlā makahiki aku nei, ‘o Jameis Winston ka mea nāna i kā‘ili i ka Heisman, he 40 āna ‘aiholo i nou ai, akā, he 10 nou ‘ana i lilo aku i nā lima o ka hoa paio. Ua ‘oi iki aku nā ‘īā nou a Winston i kā Mariota, akā, ‘o Mariota, he ‘elua wale nō manawa i lilo ai kāna pōpō i nou ai i nā lima o ka hoa paio. He keu ia a ka maika‘i wale.

A i ka Pō‘ahā nei, lilo aku nei iā Mariota he ‘ekolu makana. ‘O ka Makana ‘o Maxwell ka mua, he makana ia no ka mea pā‘ani ‘oi loa o ‘Amelika Hui Pū ‘Ia. ‘O ka lua o ka makana, ‘o ia ka Makana ‘Alihikūlele ‘o Davey O’Brien. A ‘o ke kolu o ka makana, ‘o ia ka Makana ‘o Walter Camp. He makana ia no ka mea pā‘ani o ka makahiki. I ka Pō‘akahi nei, ua lilo ka Makana Lima Kula ‘o Johnny Unitas iā ia. He makana ia no ka ‘alihikūlele ‘oi o ka papa ki‘eki‘e loa. Nānā ‘ia ka hana a ka mea pā‘ani ma ke kahua pā‘ani, kāna hana ma ke kula a me kona ‘ano kanaka. A i ka Pō‘alua nei, lilo iā ia ka Makana Mea Pā‘ani Polenekia o ka makahiki.

Ke lana nei ka mana‘o e lilo ka Heisman iā Mariota, he kūpono ia, akā, inā ‘a‘ole, ‘a‘ole paha pilikia, ma ka hana i ‘ike ‘ia ai kāna hana kupanaha.

E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

» kwong@hawaii.edu
» rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
» 956-2627 (Laiana)
» 956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.