Going ‘Down Under’
may pay off big

Hawaii football reinforced its presence in Australia recently as assistant coaches George Lumpkin and Wes Suan spent a couple of weeks there and in New Zealand.

Lumpkin and Suan put on American football coaching clinics in Sydney and Melbourne. They also scouted talent -- mostly on the rugby pitches.

"Rugby's still the big sport," Lumpkin said. "We're trying to find that athlete that is kind of growing out of rugby. You can have tall (rugby) players, but they're leaner. Some guys are too big for rugby and not small enough for soccer. They're kind of like a person without a home. A guy who's 6-4 and 250 pounds and athletic and doesn't seem like he can keep his weight down."

UH has had a few Australian players over the years, including standout defensive lineman Colin Scotts.

Scotts teamed with All-American Al Noga in 1986 on one of the best defensive units in school history. Lumpkin and Suan visited Scotts at the pub he owns in Australia.

"He was excited to see us," Lumpkin said. "He has a big picture of himself in the pub in a football stance -- in a UH uniform."

Lumpkin said he asked Scotts why he didn't have a picture of himself in the uniform of the St. Louis Cardinals, since he played for them in the NFL.

"He said it was because UH is where he learned to play football, and he wouldn't have gotten to the NFL if he hadn't come here," Lumpkin said.

Since Scotts, other Aussies to play for UH include offensive lineman Paul Manera and punter Mat McBriar. Offensive lineman Adrian Thomas of Australia enrolls at UH this fall with a football scholarship.

Manera is an American rules football coach in Australia, and he organized the UH coaches' visit.

"He's the guy in charge of 'gridiron.' That's what they call it because football means soccer or Australian rules football," Lumpkin said. "He said only around 2,000 people play 'gridiron.'"

McBriar is heading into his second season with the Dallas Cowboys.

Mark Nua, who came from New Zealand and is of Samoan ancestry, was a standout offensive lineman at UH and also played in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers. He became a popular TV actor when he returned to New Zealand.

Both Nua and Scotts are motivational speakers in their respective countries. Scotts also wrote a book about his experiences in American football.

Lumpkin said the Warriors have a lot of recruiting potential in New Zealand because of its heavy population of transplanted Polynesians.

"I think that's where we'll have the most success (in the West Pacific)," Lumpkin said. "I was told more Samoans live in New Zealand than anywhere else in the world, even American Samoa."

Current UH running back Chris Cole was born in New Zealand but went to high school in California.

Lumpkin, UH's recruiting coordinator, said some of the players he and Suan scouted could be in UH uniforms in 2006.

Michigan State game on ESPNU: The UH game at Michigan State on Sept. 10 will be televised by ESPNU and ESPN Regional Television. It begins at 9:30 a.m. Hawaii time.

Although ESPNU is not currently available in Hawaii, the game will be shown locally.

"I've been told KFVE has made arrangements to get the feed," UH spokeswoman Lois Manin said.