Former prep star expected to join Warriors
Taz Stevenson, who spent the past four seasons at Washington, is expected to join the Rainbow Warriors as a walk-on this summer. He will be eligible to transfer without restrictions after earning his bachelor’s degree next month.
Stevenson was an all-state player at Mililani High, where he played running back, receiver, defensive back and returner.
He played in 35 of Washington’s 39 games between 2010 and 2012, mostly on special teams. He was listed as a safety.
He did not play this past season because of a shoulder injury. For the Huskies’ final home game, he was honored as a departing senior despite having a season of eligibility remaining.
Stevenson would be joining a growing list of transfers from four-year colleges:
Offense — WR Duke Bukoski (Idaho State), Taylor Graham (Ohio State), RB Jason Muraoka (Franklin), SB Quinton Pedroza (Utah), TE Jordan Pu‘u-Robinson (Washington State), OG Kory Rasmussen (Colorado), Brenden Urban (Adams State).
Defense — OLB Jeremy Castro (UCLA), DE Nick Childs (Avila), DB Keahi Hogan (Arizona), LB Austin Slade (Oregon State), DL Haani Tulimaiau (Montana).
Specialist — PK Ceejay Santos.
* * * * *
We have a winner!
Congrats to Avis and Kalani on the birth of their daughter.
Welcome home Taz!!!
good morning tsaikos and congratulations to one our favorites Avis and Kalani.
Welcome home Taz and enjoy your time as a warrior.
The trouble with a routine is it becomes routine.
And that’s how I woke up at 4:45 a.m. on a day the Rainbow Warriors don’t practice.
Welcome home Taz! Go back to bed and take a nap Stephen.
I “napped” for a total of 10 hours on Sunday.
How come it sounds disingenuous when the Connecticut coach speaks of being humbled and honored?
ST, no worry you on hawaiian daylight savings time. now you get mo daylight time to do things you put off. hahahahhaaa
Whitey:
I don’t want to do the things I put off.
Actually, I was good about doing my taxes early this year.
Good morning all! ST you have crossed the fine line between robust napping and going into a coma, in other more sophisticated circles, known as “hawaiian levitation”.
Spring ball has been surreal. There hasn’t been much yelling. Well, except for Demo during the special-team tryouts. But that was only two five-minute periods. Other than that, it’s been pretty calm. Just a lot of teaching this spring.
This is the first spring in a while where the three QBs seem to have a great command of the offense.
Welcome Taz; looking forward to you helping the team!
There also seems to be natural enthusiasm.
Maybe we’re going to be heading back to the days when Rocky Savaiigaea is leading the chants during team drills.
Anyway, this is the first spring in a while where the offense is really ahead. And I think the offensive line is starting to jell. Then again, it is only the spring.
wen was in ames, ia a long time ago, used to catch a disease known as spring fever at this time of the year. more sunshine charges your batteries and you get more active. sounds like st is getting more charged up for spring ball and sees something special.
No yelling at spring ball….wow, whats that like??! I remember one film session with Tomey, where he got especially upset with the effort or lack thereof, of a particular player (name withheld) and then boomed a supersonic….”eff this!!!!!!” was proclaimed by him and that was followed with the old school film projector getting tossed like an east german shot putter, like 25 feet….quite classic.
I like the morning practices, although it always seems to rain in the morning.
The 4 p.m. practices were good because I would be a lonesome dove out there. The bad thing, though, was UH would end practice at 6, then stretch for what seemed like 30 minutes. By the time I finished my interviews, drove to the office and transcribed, I had editors getting nervous. Plus, the media relations people wanted to get home to their families, so there wasn’t much chatting time. The way it is now, we can talk to as many people as we wish. Then I go home, take a nap, transcribe my notes while the editors get nervous again. Circle of life.
We could use some experience at the safety spot. Taz brings that experience from the Pac 12 level and he’s a free player as a walk on. What a deal for the Bows. Looking forward to supporting Taz.
Boola:
There is some yelling. But last year, there was a certain assistant coach who would yell and yell and yell.
So we had Screaming Man on one side and the student manager who doesn’t give any warning when he sounds the horn on the other, and it was like my days working at the pineapple cannery all over again. Clang! Clang! Clang!
Pono:
I think Kawika Borden would have had an impact this spring, too. But he’s recovering from a sports-hernia procedure. Not sure what’s the difference between a sports-hernia injury and a regular injury. I do hope it involves a less-personal coughing test.
Another interesting thing is that they demand you drink water during a water break. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that’s supposed to be obvious. But sometimes people want to rest during the short break instead of hydrating. But hydrating is part of the schedule.
20–Well, having done 3 summers doing the 11-7 shift at the cannery, the only fond memories I have of that place was the jello. Not too much jello in Halawa housing.
Probably the only hazard in spring ball is Robert Kekaula’s spraying.
Not sure why, but he doesn’t spit dip like a cowboy. There’s a lot of collateral damage. Nice fella. Great guy. Not so accurate spitter. Especially on windy mornings.
Boola:
I can’t eat canned pineapples. I’ve seen too much.
I love hotdogs. That’s why I’ll never visit a hotdog factory.
GOOD MORNING HAWAII!
Thanks for the update- especially regarding the QBs.
Any video on Spring ball?
Inyoface:
My bad. I’ll shoot video tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a good practice to attend. There might be an interesting wrinkle to the scrimmage-like drill.
At 6’1″, 215 pounds…he
“2012: Played in every game of the season, mainly on special teams … had two tackles and also forced a fumble on the opening kickoff at No. 3 LSU … two tackles in win over Portland State … one tackle in the win over Stanford and another in the victory over Utah … posted two tackles in the win at Colorado … moved from safety to linebacker in spring of 2012 … served as a game captain for the LSU game. ”
…according to Huskie page.
21-ST, sports hernia is very similar to a regular hernia, the distinction being it was brought on by an atheltic activity. I had one about 4-5 years ago, I was still doing a lot of jujitsu, and a lot of mat work, anyway, I was home and I tell Ms. Boola/Doctor Boola hey I think, I bruised my hip/pelvis bone, swelling has not gone down for like 3-4 weeks. She says, “open your shorts, let me look”, and I do so, she replies after like only 2 seconds ” you big dummy, you have a sports hernia!!” Next week, I was in and out, same day at the hospital …although peepee was an adventure for a week.
Nothing like blunt love…..
UH fans must like the idea that Stevenson played against LSU.
I don’t have to worry about a hernia. I don’t even carry big words in my vocabulary.
Jordan Pu‘u-Robinson made a great catch in the end zone yesterday. But, like I’ve said before, nobody wants to talk about him because they don’t want to jinx his current good health.
Is Tax coming home as a 1 for 1 player? Or does he have more than 1 yr of eligibility due to a redshirt year?
Taz*
Taz has only a (one) season left, per Stephen’s blog at the top, 4th paragraph.
Conrats Avis and Kalani!
Good morning Tsaikos!
Congrats to Avis & Kalani!
Welcome home, Mr. Stevenson.
GO WARRIORS! Beat Pepperdine!
GO WAHINE!
Good news about Taz joining the team. We can use all the competition we can get on the back end. Just wondering if he qualifies for a medical redshirt year if he didn’t play last season.
Good morning, gang!
Congratulations to Avis & Kalani on the new bebe!
No Yelling at practice. I like that! I always tell my coaches, if they are here to yell and scream at players than they need to leave my field! You teach it, they learn it!
I do understand sometimes you need to get after players who are continuing to make mental mistakes and/or refuse to work hard. Teach the game first! Getting upset has to be something that is few and far between! We came from a different time, I remember when drinking water at practice was not allowed by my coaches and considered a sign of weakness! Now days, a coach will get fired for not hydrating their players! Coaches were always angry and yelling constantly! It’s a different game,time and age! A lot better for players! And I like that ! I want my players to look forward to coming to practice! ALOHA ! GO BOWS ! GO WARRIORS !
Pro Bowl anyone ? …
The National Football League announced that the Pro Bowl will be played in Arizona
in 2015, but will return to Hawaii in 2016 and 2017.
see SA news.
Great exchange this morning–thanks ST for the color commentary. The only thing I remember about the cannery is the noise, and being bossed around by an old lady (who was probably around fifteen years younger than I am today).
Good morning everyone!
Congratulations to Avis and Kalani!
Welcome Taz Stevenson!
43 and ST–the cannery is why I went to law school. I had two generations of my family work entire life in the plantations. My grandfather did a 52 year stint at Dole. All of it in the field. Grueling, even the cushy cannery was beyond the pale for me…..nightmares!
Welcome back home Taz.
Welcome to the baby daughter.
It’s hump day, start your day off with a bang…
I thought rasmussen was a defensive lineman…
ST- what’s the word on new linebacker coach Kurt Gouveia? positive/negative?
49
5 oh
48…Good question–willieboy–how is Ola’ doing?
Taz! Wow that’s a name from the past. Welcome home!
Did he major in Computer science at Washington? B.S. at UH is good also.
ST: What position do the coaches project “Taz” to compete at ???
45–boola: memory from summer between jr and sr year in high school, Kunia Road, riding in the back of a pineapple truck, heading to the fields for another day of hoe hana. On the way back, an elderly Filipino gentleman riding with us suddenly removed his hat, revealing a long, flowing mane of hair. Great dignity in that man. “You guys lucky, you not goin end up like me rotting in the fields.” It was tough. I lasted six weeks, at $1.42 1/2 per hour. There is no romance in industrial agriculture, whether inside or outside. (But it was honest labor.)
Is it siesta time for ST?
It would be for me If I got up at 4:45…
Just kidding, I watch football sometimes. I wanted to ask if he belonged to any class. Or as they say in computers, composite classes, as in where’s the classes taught?
OK, I’ll be the stick in the mud—
what is the value of having a 1 year only player join the team?
yes, person is a walk-on and is a financial free-bee, but equates to “less time” for the position coach to spend time with other younger players.
yes, the person may have experience, but needs to learn a new system.
will this player be an asset or liability to the position coach?
Double Nickles–(I love that handle) or Jalansky: One thing I was taught early one, was that working is a privilege. Now, when you toil under the sun, for years and decades at a time, with time and the wears of age creeping on you, well, I have to believe, the next generation owes it, in the very least, to pull everyone up a couple of notches…..
58—Good question A House, but with many things, hope spring eternal. And to that end, I have two words: Russell Wilson.
summer time 4 me was picking hayden mangoes up makawao way….first week was just mostly on top the tree….eating….after one week they all looked the same….n it became work….but was great summers….owner was the ‘acme’ beer distributor on maui….
the delivery man….drop us of in the morning….then go deliver beer…then back 2 pick us up n load truck with mangoes…..no
supervision….that was good work 4 me….
welcome taz….IMUA
#58 A-House – No one knows what the future will bring. Knock on wood – no injuries. Don’t want to bachi it. However, if injuries demand it, having a ‘veteran’ seems prudent.
I had the ‘privilege’ of washing pots and pans in the summer. Showed me what my alternative would be if I didn’t finish school.
On the subject of crappy jobs, one summer, I think between my fresh and soph year in college, I had a relative that had business with tar (roofs, driveways, etc..) man, that was hard hard , messy work. Only thing I could think of, is that “man, I gotta start getting better grades in school”
A-House,
At this point it’s all hands on deck. If the one year player is better than what you have, got to play the best person. No luxery to build up the young players after only 4 wins in two years.
A-House, if the coach determines that a player can join the team as a walk-on then of course it is an asset. Wasn’t Dallas Cowboy great Larry Cole a one year player for Hawaii?
I worked one summer at the American Can Co = right across from DelMonte? Dole?. The cans went over to the cannery by conveyor belt. The next summer was at Dole – where we had to pick every fifth or tenth pineapple for “quality” testing.
It was only in the last two or so years, that I started to eat pineapple again (a 58-60 year hiatus)!
66–Your Honor, I still have “pineapple mouth” from summers 77-78-79, just healed, last week.
You can’t teach a lame dog how to win a dogfight (norm).
A dog who knows how to win will win, no matter what you throw at him (Higgins)
Too bad for chow. Too late to take back last two losing seasons. Was easy hiding behind the shadow of great hcs. Hard when you come out from behind the shadow.
# 68…me agree u with higgins…be sad if he gets start this year
…n we have a winning season…n bowl victory…
n he is one year n out…
but i guess 4 you more sad…as jay will extend coach
contract…but at least give you sumthing to ‘chirp’ about
every now n then…..
66–yes, quality testing, that was where the bossy lady was. One night (I was on the 10:30 to 6:30 shift), I was heading out to pick up my samples amid the din. I heard a thud. I turned around and saw that a can filled with fruit had fallen off the elevated conveyor belt, just missing my head. Of course, we all had our flimsy paper hats on, so things like heavy falling metal objects from umpteen feet high were no problem.
Industrial accidents were no laughing matter, though. One night the lines stopped and a rumor spread that someone had gotten his/her finger sliced off and that it gotten canned. They had to go find it.
Well, that was the story, anyway. Appetizing, yeah?
68–The fact he is doing well against a defense still trying to learn a new scheme does not mean he will win games.
The qb position will be a question mark until the season starts
he he he # 70….that is why me never liked asparagus till
this day….as a kid i called them ‘fingers’…the canned ones…
Hey, ST, enjoyed your notebook features today on Beau Yap, my current favorite player, and Trayvon Henderson, one of my picks for having a break out season next year.
Love Beau. He’s 100% intensity on the field 100% of the time, but seems to be pretty mellow off the field.
Trayvon is physically scary. What a beast.
Worked in cannery in the 60s. virtually all the high school kids did. $1.60 /hour. Hard work but learned how to work hard. Today, the kids don’t know what hard work is. But, I have not eaten canned pineapple since.
Then between college and grad school worked in Waikiki Hotel bar. Had to hand cut 4 large boxes of fresh pineapple per day to put into the tropical drinks. I’m good at cutting pineapples, to say the least. I love fresh pineapples, but still cannot eat the canned ones.
I remember eating pineapple chunks sold in sandwich bags from ice bins in front of the various shops and then head back across the street to Waikiki beach..in the 60’s.
Delushous.
But met a young man in the 70’s who after just one year working in cleaning out the
chemical bins used in the pineapple fields, turned into a wrinkly old man—amazing
sad fast decline in his health.
Welcome Taz! Looking forward to seeing you help
our Rainbow Warriors!! (Higgins too!)
$10 minimum wage = $15 plate lunch.
I ATE PINEAPPLE EVERYDAY DURING 3 SUMMERS; ALL THE TABLE FORELADIES WERE SAVING THE NATURALLY-SWEET PINE FOR ME…TEXTURE OF APPLE, SWEET LIKE MANGO, WITH TANGY TASTE OF THE PINEAPPLE: REALLY, REALLY OOOONOO!! EACH OF THE TABLE FORELADIES DIDN’T REALIZE THAT ALL THE OTHERS WERE ALSO SAVING ME SWEET PINE.
#74 I worked at the Dole Cannery during the summer for one month in 1963 and made $1.25 per hour. The luna was one irritating guy. Some of the fore ladies would wear perfume. Perfume and the smell of pineapple does not mix. Whew….!!!
68 still chirping