In the beginning, Jessica Amisone had older son Alii, and was about to give birth to a second child.

She was 19, and husband Julius was overseas.

“My whole pregnancy, Julius was deployed in Iraq for a year and a half. He got R&R to come home for Tama’s birth,” she recalled. “Then he didn’t see the boys again for three or four more months.”

Tama Amisone was 9 pounds and nearly 22 inches tall at birth.

“He’s my biggest baby, but growing up he wasn’t one of the big kids. Even during All-Blacks (youth football), he was saying, ‘Mom, I can’t even see over my line.’ He was a late bloomer.”

When he was 2, Tama Amisone learned the routine with his father.

“I would train him with MMA and boxing reps at home,” Julius Amisone said. “He was pretty good. My dad did that with me, too.”

It came naturally to Tama Amisone. He brought the energy it took to finish every workout.

“I loved training with my dad when he would do stuff like that,” he recalled.

Julius Amisone grew up in American Samoa, playing running back for the Pago Pago Eagles and, later, Samoana High School. His work ethic impacts their five children. As he grew older, Tama Amisone was the little guy running alone in the park, sprinting endlessly every day. It wasn’t until later, however, that he became transformed.

In the summer of 2020, Amisone flew to South Dakota. He was on a mission of sorts, a skilled, speedy young quarterback and receiver — he trained at a young age under Paul Alejado, father of UH freshman Micah Alejado. Amisone had just completed seventh grade. Waiting for him at the airport in Rapid City were uncle Richie Amisone and his wife, Nicole.

“He owned a CrossFit gym, so he made me lift,” Tama Amisone said.

When summer began, he was 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 105 pounds.

“He made me do squats five days a week. On weekends, I’d go lighter. I was pretty skinny and weak. My highest (squat) was maybe a plate (135 pounds),” Amisone recalled. “I loved working out with him.”

Tama Amisone

Kapolei football, paddling, baseball

Senior

6-1, 190

College commitment: San Jose State

What football coaches are saying about

Amisone’s playmaking ability:

Vince Nihipali, Waianae

“His athleticism and speed, he’s in a class of his own. A freakish athlete. He has improved his decision-making on when to run, when not to run, also his accuracy has improved every year. He’s as lethal as it gets.”

Darren Johnson, Campbell

“Tama has leadership, trust and IQ. He makes great plays. He reminds me of (former Kahuku QB) Alema Atuaia. Tama continues to make plays with his arms and legs.”

Nate Kia, Punahou

“That’s an awesome player right there. One of my favorite players to watch. He’s a true dual-threat quarterback. Very dynamic, very confident with both his arms and legs.”

Wendell Say, former Aiea coach

“A couple of years ago, we played them. It was a back-and-forth game and they pulled off the win with him. He hurt us with his running and passing. As he’s gotten older, I believe Tama’s maturity and decision-making as a quarterback has gotten better. He reminds me of (Hall of Fame QB) Roger Staubach. Roger the dodger. Tama is similar. He will hurt you with his running and passing.”

Tupu Alualu, Saint Louis

“He is a phenomenal quarterback. Tama has a bright future. I would probably rank him in the top three.”

Rod York, Mililani

“When I first saw Tama, it was when he was a ninth grader and he ran a zone read, quarterback keep 80 yards. I said, ‘Who is this kid?’ He has improved on his timing and throwing. Seems to always be positive with his teammates. Tama is an athlete playing quarterback. He reminds me of Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham. Both could throw, but could burn you with their feet. They were always a threat to take it 99 yards by air or by land.”

Mark Kurisu, Leilehua

“We competed with him only once in a 7v7 game two summers ago. He is accurate. He knew where to go with the ball. He also utilized his matchup to their advantage. He reminds of the former great St. Louis quarterbacks. That’s a tribute to (QB coach) Bobby George and coach Darren Hernandez.”

Dean Rickard, Lahainaluna

“I was already impressed when watching him on televised OC 16 games two years ago when he was just a sophomore. His maturity, athleticism and football IQ certainly makes him one of the best quarterbacks in the state. In our preseason game with Kapolei, we knew how great of a player he was and that we would need to limit his big-play abilities. Of course, it’s easier said than done, and we all know how that turned out and saw why he is a highly recruited athlete. He has become physically and mentally more mature, confident and highly competent on the field. His teammates gravitate around him, making a natural leader with great athletic skills. What could be more motivating than that? He reminds me of Tua Tagovailoa. Poised and confident in his abilities.”

Sterling Carvalho, \uku

“When he was playing JV (in 2021) against our Kahuku JV, he was a one-man show. He literally did it all. I remember saying, ‘Who is that kid?’ He was so dynamic. He has improved his passing accuracy and he can run and throw with great accuracy, especially on the deep balls. He reminds me of Michael Vick. Same number and all.”

Nicole Amisone was a nutritionist.

“They had a nutrition plan for me. My uncle would have protein shakes and he’d have me eat a certain amount of calories,” he said.

By the end of summer, Tama Amisone was back in Kapolei. He grew to 5-6 and 140 pounds. The fire was stoked and has yet to be extinguished.

“I never stopped lifting after that,” said Amisone.

He is now 6-1 and 190 pounds and a senior at Kapolei High School.

He has a max squat of 455 pounds and max bench of 295. Not too shabby for a high school quarterback. Amisone continued to take his cardio seriously. The Amisone ohana is loaded with runners— or running backs, in particular. It began with his grandfather, Liutama Amisone Sr.

“I would love to go back in time to when my Papa was still here on Earth. He was my greatest mentor and taught me how to live life with gratitude and humility. Most importantly, serve our one and only king Jesus,” said Amisone, who was 13 when his grandfather died.

Liutama Amisone Sr. walked the walk when it came to training.

“He loved going outside every day. Walk. Run. Do push-ups. Play basketball. He was pretty fit when he was an old man. I remember when he was 50-something, we were all racing my Papa in Waipahu at my cousin Tama (Uiliata)’s house. He smoked all of us at sprints. He would always tell me to run sprints. That’s pretty much where I got my speed from.”

Liutama Uiliata played wide receiver and quarterback for Waipahu, and was voted by coaches and media as the Star-Advertiser All-State Offensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Tama Amisone has been at quarterback all four years at Kapolei. His incredible speed and shiftiness on the gridiron combined with a strong arm — Amisone can launch a football 60 yards — made him a prized catch for a multitude of college programs. With 10 scholarship offers, Amisone committed to San Jose State. With a 4.1 grade-point average, he plans to graduate early, then enroll at SJSU in January.

“When I had the opportunity to choose a college, there’s a lot of different things I had to factor out. I just trusted in God and prayed to see where he wanted me,” Amisone said.

His athleticism opened the eyes of coaches across the spectrum. It wasn’t just QB coaches who wanted to recruit him. A few inquired about his willingness to change positions. Even in his own family, the preference is generally for running backs, not pocket-passing quarterbacks. The evolution of the sport, putting more of a premium on mobile QBs than running backs, has opened the door for dual-threat signal-callers like Amisone.

Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez has always prioritized having an athletic quarterback.

“In Tama’s freshman year, he was so dazzling (on the junior varsity) that we contemplated pulling him up to the varsity. We don’t take stats for JV, but he accounted for 30 to 40 touchdowns,” Hernandez said.

Two years ago, as a sophomore, Amisone split time with Tuli Tagovailoa-Amosa. Amisone passed for 1,419 yards and 19 TDs with just three picks in eight games. His completion rate was 67%. He also rushed for 517 yards (6.2 YPC) and nine TDs.

Last year, Tagovailoa-Amosa transferred to Kahuku, and Amisone took control of the offense. He passed for 2,501 yards and 33 touchdowns on a 59% completion rate. Of Amisone’s 10 interceptions thrown, Hernandez believes five or six came on tipped passes. Amisone rushed for 1,068 yards (10 yards per carry) and 14 TDs.

Making crucial decisions at mach speed is a rare skill.

“There’s certain plays where it’s a straight pass, so I sell something. Then there’s plays where there’s an option. For me, it’s been slowing down lately. I’ve been used to rolling out a lot and making decisions in a second. I wouldn’t want to say it’s natural, but its somewhere along the lines of repetition,” Amisone said. “Football gives you that thrill. It’s something inside of me that needs to play football and succeed.”

Hernandez brought Bobby George in two decades ago to help with Kapolei’s quarterbacks. George was just 19, sitting out a season of college football due to injury.

“It was 2003. My offensive coordinator was John Hao. We had Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada. John said Bobby came back from college and wanted to work with Kaipo,” Hernandez said.

Kaheaku-Enhada went on to play for Navy.

“Now, Bobby is coaching as OC and QBs coach, coaching Tama. He’s come full circle. He loves the kids and doesn’t seek the limelight,” Hernandez said. “Bobby is a man of few words, yet when he speaks it holds a whole lot of weight.”

The biggest mountain peak remains unconquered by Amisone and the Hurricanes. The traditional powerhouses at the top, Mililani and Kahuku, have been able to neutralize Amisone.

“Kapolei is as good as he goes,” Waianae coach Vince Nihipali noted. “A good example is Mililani (in 2023). He struggled and the team struggled in a 56-0 loss.”

Last year, 23 Hurricanes jumped ship. It has not fazed Amisone. In an era when football players are criss-crossing the islands in pursuit of bigger roles or state championships, Amisone hasn’t budged. The grass is greener precisely where he waters it.

“I grew up in a very loyal family. They’re very big on that. I grew up in Kapolei. I was raised there. There’s no sense in me leaving here. This is my home team. I love playing for them,” he said. “Javian Goo. I’m neighbors with him. Hezekiah (Fruean) also played for Kap City all his life.”

This year, there have been no departures. No defections.

“The transferring last year, it was wild. They didn’t want to build. They wanted to join a team that was already set. I think most of them went to Kahuku and Mililani, and they succeeded. This year, I don’t think anyone transferred out. A lot of our guys graduated, so there’s a lot of guys coming in,” Amisone said.

Kapolei formed a Pylon team, Second City Hurricanes, to fuel momentum. Bobby George, the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, is the Pylon coach, as well.

“Coming in from Pylon season, the young players found that we have something special going on,” Amisone said. “They stuck it out. They believe that the team is pretty good.”

The external circumstances don’t play a large role outside of football. Amisone keeps his circle fairly small. Each Monday, Kapolei’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes hangs out together during lunch.

“It’s just a safe place to worship and spread the word of God with each other,” he said. “I prioritize that.”

Julius and Jessica Amisone have witnessed their son’s maturity up close. Leaving high school early is not their preference for him, but they trust his decision.

“He goes to church, doesn’t even wait for us,” Julius said. “He also always goes to quarterback training. My hope for him is to succeed in life as long as he keeps God first. I just wish the best for him and all of our kids.”