After a lifetime commitment, it was time for wideout Chuuky Hines to make a change.
This summer, he cut his hair for the first time.
“I had good hair when I was little,” Hines said. “It kept growing longer and longer, and I just kept it. I had it since I was born. I thought the time was right for a change, so I cut it.”
There were no strength-reducing, Samson-like repercussions of the haircut.
“No, not at all,” said Kody Cooke, UH’s strength/conditioning coordinator. “He’s still very strong.”
“Tremendous strength,” receivers coach Jared Ursua said of the second- year Warrior from Houston. “He’s a very strong man, and that’s evident in his power and the way he runs and blocks. He’s one of the stronger guys in the weight room relative to his group. He can lift on the big-boy rack.”
At 6 feet 1 and 180 pounds, Hines is capable of power cleaning 275 pounds and back squatting 385 pounds. “He’s not overly big yet, but he’s definitely gotten bigger this summer,” Cooke said.
Hines also tied defensive back Caleb Brown as the fastest Warriors. Each was clocked at sprinting a prorated 22.75 mph. “That’s flying,” Cooke said. “That’s moving.”
In the run-and-shoot offense, a receiver is required to base routes off a defensive coverage. Hines has the discipline to run precise routes as well as the improvisational skills to break off a pattern to sprint into the clear. The attention to detail stems from growing up in a military household.
“Everything had to be neat,” Hines said. “We woke up early. We worked really hard. We did the dishes. Everything was clean. My dad was in the military, and it was his mindset to keep us focused so we could be great at the end of the day. It was hard when I was little, but eventually I got used to it. It became second nature.”
Hines said his speed is a product of intensive training. “I started track when I was very young,” he said. “That was the first sport I really loved. I took it seriously. I wasn’t quick (initially) but I worked hard, and eventually I was fast, and I kept going from there. If you work hard, you’ll become faster.”
In addition to UH practices and weight sessions, Hines will catch fastballs launched from the JUGS machine. Teammate Chad Owens Jr., who doubles as Hines’ barber, will fire passes during post-practice workouts. Owens’ father, former UH great Chad Owens Sr., has offered tips on stems (the path of a pass pattern) and reading a cornerback.
“He has that dog about him, that presence,” Ursua said of Hines. “We’re excited about him and what he’ll be able to do in Year 2. He was a puppy playing out there last year, and less than 45 days (after arriving) on the island, he had three catches against Michigan. Building upon what he did last year and the confidence he’s been able to gain in the offseason makes us really excited about the tools he has and the opportunities he’ll have this year.”
Scouting Report
A wrinkle to this version of the four-wide offense is a tight end occupying one of the slot positions. Greyson Morgan, who has fully healed from a clavicle injury, and Devon Tauaefa are effective chip blockers who are factors in the passing and running attack. Similar to other new-age tight ends, both are deep threats as much as check-down targets. Jonah Panoke, Kansas transfer Steven McBride, Alex Perry, Chuuky Hines and Nick Cenacle are athletic wideouts with speed. While Koali Nishigaya is the best route-running slot, converted wideouts Pofele Ashlock and Jalen Walthall use their height to create matchup advantages as slot receivers.
At this position
WIDEOUTS
1 Jonah Panoke 6-1 200 Sr. Honolulu
84 Chuuky Hines 6-1 80 So. Houston
7 Steven McBride 6-1 165 Sr. Napoleonville, La.
88 Alex Perry 6-5 195 Fr. Port Charlotte, Fla.
3 Nick Cenacle 6-2 195 So. Montreal, Canada
SLOTS
86 Pofele Ashlock 6-2 175 Fr. Euless, Texas
23 Koali Nishigaya 5-7 165 Jr. Waipahu
4 Jalen Walthall 6-1 180 So. Houston
8 Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala 5-10 180 Sr. Kapolei
TIGHT ENDS
17 Greyson Morgan 6-2 230 Jr. Kingwood, Texas
87 Devon Tauaefa 6-4 205 Fr. Honolulu
45 Kila Kamakawiwo‘ole 6-0 240 Sr. Honolulu
