THE smallest man on the team leads the players on to the court before each game - and each time he carries a big message. Luke Meyers is a
Rainbow, heart and soulLuke Meyers' life has turned into a movie. After all, the 5-foot-10, 167-pound walk-on is named after one.
The fans at the Special Events Arena know it: "Rudy! Rudy!"
His story is heartwarming - just like the Notre Dame player who never gave up on his dream to play for the Fighting Irish - especially in this day when college athletics is so often criticized for its lack of true amateur spirit.
The South Carolina native came to the University of Hawaii as a one-year exchange student. But after he met his fiancee here, he decided to stay.
And then there was a dream that had to be pursued.
Two years ago, Meyers tried out for the Hawaii basketball team, but he was one of three players who were cut. How did he react?
He cried.
"I was really upset," he said after a recent practice. "I was like 'Oh man, all that hard work and effort.'"
Then last season, there wasn't any room on the roster for walk-ons. And it didn't look good this season, either.
Except to Rudy.
"You feel bad when you cut anybody, but I told him to stick it out," said UH head coach Riley Wallace, who gave Meyers the nickname. "He kept coming around and telling me that he was still hungry. So I said he could try out."
Rudy recalls: "The first year I got cut, the second year there were no walk-ons. Then this year he said there wouldn't be any walk-on tryouts, but I kept hounding him. I kept knocking at his door. You have to be persistent in this world."
WALLACE didn't cut him this time around.
"I was elated," Meyers said with a grin. "I was really surprised because they had so many guards on the team this year.
"It feels really good. I waited for this a long time and put a lot of hard work and effort into it."
"He worked so hard and he's such a great kid," Wallace added. "His parents called to thank me - and I swear he thanks me every day."
Then an even bigger thrill awaited Meyers. He got to play in his first Division I game in the Rainbows' season-opener against Texas-Pan American. And his parents were in the stands - with a video camera, of course.
"I was nervous, but it felt good - especially the crowd chanting for Rudy," he said. "My dad has been a basketball coach for 20 years so he was really happy."
It's not all glory for Meyers, however. The junior is juggling a geography major with the time demands of basketball.
At each practice, though, he lives up to his reputation, going all-out at every opportunity.
"I structure my game around hustle and hard work, like diving for loose balls," he said. "I try to show the scholarship players that you have to hustle all the time."
MEYERS said he has a copy of the movie "Rudy." And Wallace finally got around to seeing it.
"I saw the movie this year - I was a late one to watch it - and I really liked it," Wallace said. "If you're in sports it's what everyone should strive for, to give your all.
"To me, it's still college athletics. He's a college student and this was his chance. And, let me tell you, he is a true Rudy."
Anthony Carter makes the offense run and Alika Smith can sure shoot the ball. Seth Sundberg is the big man in the middle and Micah Kroeger and Eric Ambrozich fit in at forward.
Yet, as corny as it sounds, every successful sports team needs an inspiration. And the Rainbows showcase their heart and soul each time that Luke Meyers - the kid who kept knocking on Riley Wallace's door for three years - leads the team on to the Special Events Arena floor.
His advice to the rest of us is important in all walks of life, not just sports.
"Don't ever give up," Rudy says.
"Don't ever give up."