Wily expected to retire
Running back Aofaga Wily is expected to retire from football because of medical concerns stemming from a concussion he suffered last year.
If his petition is granted — he awaits approval from doctors and administrators — Wily will remain on full scholarship but not count toward the Warriors’ 85-scholarship limit for active players.
“His health is way more important than football,” coach Norm Chow said.
Wily was the state’s top offensive player in 2012 when he led Kahuku High to a 12-0 record and a second consecutive Division I title. He signed with UH on Feb. 6, 2013.
Wily played in two games as a true freshman, starting one, before suffering a concussion. Persistent headaches forced him to withdraw from the fall semester. He returned for the 2014 spring semester, and was cleared to practice on a limited basis. But after experiencing some side effects, it was jointly decided to consider retirement.
Wily and his wife have a 2-month-old child.
In the past three years, slotback Justin Clapp, fullback Dustin Elisara, and offensive linemen Levi Legay, Chauncy Winchester-Makainai and Jordan Loeffler were granted medical retirements. Clapp earned a master’s degree, and Legay, Winchester-Makainai and Loeffler completed work on bachelor’s degrees. Elisara is still a UH student on scholarship.
* * * * *
Many, many years ago, one of the best o-linemen to come out of Hawaii had to give up his football dream because of the risk of a spinal injury.
When one door closes, another door … well, you know the saying.
He eventually became one of the world’s strongest.
Today he is known simply as Pastor Joe.
* * * * *
During the 1989 basketball banquet, Reggie Cross received the Art Woolaway Award as the team’s most valuable player. Cross looked at the large koa bowl and said: “I eat a lot of cereal.”
To Michelle Wie and Reggie Cross, raise a cup — and bowl — to always celebrate the limitless possibilities of youth: Forever Young
Good morning Tsaikos!
Best wishes to Mr. Wily and his ohana.
Wow. It’s a collision sport.
Best wishes for Mr. Wily.
Good morning everybody!
Good luck to Mr. Wiley.
Best wishes to Faga.
Main goal now is to stay healthy……and get that degree.
Hopefully Faga’s younger bro Sala interested in UH……since also already got scholie offers from Oregon State & Colorado.
A always wondered about the helmets they wear nowdays. Seems like there are more and more concussions now than back in the 60s and 70s. Its probably because of the awareness of consussions and more people are reporting it.
A true freshman in a pro offense can’t be good.
Guud Morning Tsaikos…bootiful day.
prayers and well wishes to Aofaga Wily….Mahalo for being a Warrior! Get healthy and take care of the family!…IMUA!
players now days are bigger, faster, stronger and much more mobile….not sure if the equipment has kept up with the players.
Be young.
Have fun.
Drink Pepsi.
Dr Pepper
Heinie Light
Football is very dangerous. You can be crippled for life on one play. Not to mention, later in life, the toll on the body it takes from football. Knees, shoulders, head trauma, ankles, hip, etc., etc., etc. My mother never let me play football in high school, but she let me play basketball and baseball. To this day, I think about her everyday and be thankful for her wisdom. I love football, just watching! I think Mr. Wily is making a very good decision. Family is everything. Good luck to him in the future and get his degree.
6 and 9…Papa and Northshore, much of the literature on this subject suggest that while the equipment is much safer, it has a paradoxical effect, in that players try to hit even harder (as they think they have safer equipment), that coupled with bigger, stronger and faster players, thus mitigates some of the advancement made with better construction and technology.
it’s good to see UH honor it’s commitment to our players.
Boola…so true, pretty soon we’ll see players in a Ironman like suit! Might be a good research project for NASA to figure out how to eliminate injuries when a 300lb’er smacks a 150lb’er full force. This would also be of use for our astronauts in emergency bail out from 50,000 ft….just hallucinating…btw..where’s our resident scientist? Haven’t heard from him in a while.
GOOD MORNING HAWAII!
The very best to Mr. Wily and his ohana.
Northshore…so true. I remember watching a espn special on the amount of torque and force and NFL player can create, and it was astounding, as it was in the range of 1600-1700 pounds of force. Thus, the old physics formula is very applicable, mass (players size) times force (or the players top end speed). They reach very scary levels of g force….see: http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/physics/4212171
When college football players eventually unionize, or whatever they’re seeking, they should look more into long-term health care than wages for appearing in video games.
I realize young people don’t want to consider that. But I’ve seen too many former UH players, in their 30s, 40s and 50s, still limping and awaiting more surgeries for injuries inccurred during their playing days.
Tonight let it be Lowenbrau
Leron:
I used to love Lowenbrau in college.
Do they still make it?
ST, I thought you drank Baby Millers in colleges.
We know what Kimo Kahoano used to drink:
“I got some poke on the side, while mama’s trying to hide, the Miller and the Heineken beer.”
From what I understand, Lowenbrau is only available in Germany and no longer exported to the U.S.
Oh, yes, I did drink Millers, too.
We used to buy them at the Campus Center along with those SAGA burritos.
In college, I was a quasi-alcoholic — and very gassy.
I remember Films In America class — it was three credits to watch classic movies once a week — while my Miller bottle was rolling down the aisle.
Ah, good times.
“Ferd” and Bob Wagner used to make bets with Anchor Steam as the prize.
OK, this is sad. Now I’m just reminiscing about beer all by my lonesome.
Back to concussions. I’ve had three in my life. This explains a lot.
ST..or as they called that fancy green beer in Halawa..”loaded brah”.
Funny thing, when I see ex-teammates…many of the lineman are all smaller, as they all wanted to lose weight when they were younger,and all the skilled players are bigger (except like Rich and K brothers) as they were all use to eating whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, but when exercise and metabolism decreases in the 40s, the opu grows bigger…..payback as they say, is a bit%h.
Wily was one of best RBs I’ve ever seen in hs. He was your true “money player” – you want the sure 1st down, give to Aofaga. You want the game clinching TD, give to Aofaga.
I guess we won’t see him carrying the pigskin on the football field for Hawaii anymore, but now he can be the “money player” for his family on the most important field of all.
All the best to Aofaga Wily!
boola, saw that film program too….was mind boggling.
#20… I guess “tonight’s kind of special”…
Lafaele is kind of slim now…Nate looks bigger that Mike..imho
#32 agree. When I first saw him run, he reminded me of Gayle Sayers. he was faster than he looked, shiftier than most and he had that smooth, effortless style that made many a would be tackler pay the price for thinking he would go down easily.
The decision to “go pro” in the classroom is a very wise decision. he seems to be a grounded young man and we all know that he’ll succeed on the next field of his life.
What happened to “No Fear”. You are scaring away all the prospects.
To this day I can still see the hit that Colt Brennan took against the Fresno St. LB. Colt was out cold. It was a very scary sight. The entire stadium was so quiet.
Moniz taking that hit from USC was one I remember.
Best wishes to Mr. Wily.
Love that tweet I just saw: There are two types of countries — ones that use the metric system, ones that have been to the moon.
37.
I always kind of wondered had he not gotten hit and stayed in the game, would they have had a chance to pull it off in the end.
Hope he sticks around and gets his degree
Best of luck to Aofaga Wily. Take care, get well, and please stay in school and earn your degree. One door closes, another door opens.
I don’t think Colt was ever the same after that hit in the Fresno game.
Yep, recall vividly the hit Mo took in the SC game. Actually it was more of a close hanger where his head snapped back. Didn’t seem to phase him as he was on the sideline ready to go. Guess that’s why I call him Mighty Mo.
That kinda-kinda rhymed.
Think about all the adversity Colt faced during his career after UH and you have to admit, things could have turned out way worse for him. Ryan Leaf comes to mind after his short tenure in the NFL.
Good morning everyone!
Best wishes to Aofaga Wily on his future endeavors!
Life is short.
Which brings us to Melo.
Take the Knicks’ money. Several years from now, when his career is over, he’ll have to stare every day at a wife who’s thinking: You turned down an extra $31 million?
Props for Ben Jay getting the scholarship check fiasco sorted out. According to Kody Afusia’s twitter, the latest checks arrived two weeks EARLY.
48–ST true for Melo, not true of LeBron. One of the crucial features about the Bron, is that his endorsements, on an annual basis, now exceed 60+ million, and thus it allows him, but moreover the team he signs with, potential flexibility, (as does not necessarily have to take max money) in creating another dream roster. Now, I guess, the more crucial term is “potential”, but, it certainly adds to his story.
Mahalo to Mr. Wily – he’s had a great run as a football player, but family and health come first.
I was stopped at Vineyard and Pali Hwy by Nuuanu Y.
there’s this “homeless” male carrying a sign and hanging on to the pole.
some driver ahead of me sticks his hand out and gives the homeless, limping badly guy some loose change – then some driver behind me stuck out his arm waving a paper bill – limping guy suddenly bolts past me with no limp
wonder what the front driver thought when he saw this?
Haha, thats classic. Never underestimate the acting skills of a homeless person. Their performance is sometimes worthy of an Oscar.
Along the lines of forever young…here is a nice vintage clip to enjoy:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9_MBck2ibE
If James goes back to Cleveland I will like him again. If he stays with Miami I won’t root for him. I was overjoyed when Dallas and San Antonio beat the Heat. I am not a Wade or Riley fan either, although I like Ray Allen. I like most teams in the Western Conference. James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love would be a trio that are tough. This is JMO. MJ is my all time favorite and I have the 86 Fleer Rookie Card.
http://fullbackcounter.sportsblog.com/post/721707/can_norm_chow_turn_around.html
ppj2,
Football helmets are designed to prevent skull fractures, not concussions. Hence the warning labels in all of them.
Wanna reduce concussions? Take facemasks outta the game. Said it before, believe it still.
On a (futbol) side note, PPJ2.
What’s the chance you had England and Italia going home before the knockout round? 😯
d1 & ppj2 – and Espana?
Oh, I wasn’t going there jm. I know you lurk. 😆 😉
Whoda thunk the USA would still be in it? Just sayin…
#62
New JC RB transfer addition?
https://twitter.com/jckevin/status/479768314999496705
http://www.cerritosfalcons.com/sports/fball/2013-14/bios/small_domonique_hj83
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/504801/highlights/102694382
btw, miller brewing co did at one time produce the lowenbrau that was eventually sold (and drank) in the usa.
i remember guzzling 2 or 3 dozen bottles of miller high life at the fort ord bowling alley. i thought wow thats more than double what could tank back home.
…and then, finally, someone burst my bubble, telling me about the 3.2 % alcohol maximum on beer sold on military bases.
…and these days i am a 2 – 3 bottle drunk.
63:
Almost. Not quite.
63…not very impressive number in jc. was it due to some injury issue?
pretty good hs stats.
Tonight let it be Lowenbrau!
http://youtu.be/3oUBaCyXWNk
Morning Tsaikos!
Is David Moala still coming to UH?