NASHVILLE, TENN. >> After months of waiting, Hawaii defensive tackle John Tuitupou was thinking the unthinkable.

“There was a point when I wanted to stop working out,” said Tuitupou, who had petitioned the NCAA for an exemption that would allow him to play this football season. “But I kept my faith and kept praying. My teammates had my back. They prayed for me every day. The coaches trusted I would get my year back.”

Two nights before the season opener, head coach Timmy Chang was alerted that Tuitupou’s waiver was approved. Chang then told co-defensive coordinator Eti Ena, who also coaches the defensive linemen, to inform Tuitupou.

“When Coach Ena told me I was cleared, I was happy,” Tuitupou said. “I told my family. And then, I’m not going to lie, I shed a tear.”

Tuitupou started at 3-technique tackle in UH’s 35-28 loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday at FirstBank Stadium.

“I felt blessed to be out there with the guys,” Tuitupou said. “It was a tough loss to swallow. But you can see what we can do. It’s the little details we have to do.”

It was near the end of the 2022 season when UH felt Tuitupou would have a chance to return to UH for a fourth season. Chang told Tuitupou the program would offer support of his appeal.

After a year at East Los Angeles College, Tuitupou was set to transfer to Arizona Western College for the 2018 season. Unlike California community colleges, Arizona Western offered athletic scholarships.

But Tuitupou learned he and his girlfriend were expecting their second child. Because of the difficulty of finding a doctor and medical plan in a new state, Tuitupou was encouraged to sit out the 2018 season.

Tuitupou, who grew up on Oahu’s Windward side, decided to return to Hawaii to support his family. He worked at Target in Kailua, stocking shelves and unloading trucks. Tuitupou did not play in 2018 or 2019. In 2020, he joined the Warriors as a walk-on.

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Tuitupou ascended the depth chart, earned a scholarship and last year teamed with Blessman Ta‘ala to lead the defensive front.

After the appeal was filed with the NCAA, Chang kept Tuitupou on scholarship. Tuitupou, who earned a bachelor’s degree and was taking advanced classes, continued practicing with the first team during spring training, He also took first-team reps in training camp. Tuitupou was included on the 74-player travel roster for the season-opening road trip.

“Every day it was in my head,” Tuitupou said of awaiting a ruling from the NCAA.

Chang said: “Things that are out of my control, I don’t worry about. If JT plays, he plays. Whoever’s ready to line up, we line ‘em up, and that’s it. But we’re so grateful to have him. JT’s a really good player and a good leader.”