CRAIG KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Bristol Olomua soaked up the sun at Hula Bowl practice Tuesday. Olomua will suit up for the West squad.
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Olomua makes it
The vagabond finally gets a chance to play at Aloha Stadium
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See also: Hawaii Grown Report
IT'S BEEN a long, and sometimes crazy, journey that has included multiple high schools, colleges and a two-year Mormon mission, but almost 25 years since his birth in Kahuku, Bristol Olomua will finally realize his dream to play football at Aloha Stadium.
Olomua, a senior tight end from Texas Tech, was selected to play for the West squad in Saturday's Hula Bowl. The game, set for 2 p.m., will be the first for Olomua in Hawaii since his junior varsity days as a Red Raider.
"Just being out here brings back memories," Olomua said. "I'd come here every week to watch UH games."
That ended in 1996, when Olomua followed his parents to Arizona, where they relocated for work during his freshman year. He spent three years at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Ariz., and was named the Eastern Valley Region Offensive Player of the Year and made the All-Arizona first team on offense as a senior. After football season, he returned to Kahuku in time to play basketball, but never realized his dream of playing varsity football in the islands.
"Yeah I missed out, but my dad was (in Arizona)," Olomua said. "He really wanted to watch me play, so I stayed over there."
Family and football have always gone hand-in-hand for Olomua. His father and brother both played at Eastern Arizona, while three uncles, including newly named Brigham Young offensive line coach Robert Anae, played at BYU. After being recruited by such schools as Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, California and Stanford, Olomua decided to follow in his uncle's footsteps, committing to the Cougars.
He played eight games in his freshman season for BYU before taking two years off to serve his mandatory Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in Seattle. It was a whole new experience for Olomua, as he opened himself up to many different cultures.
"It was so diverse up there, it gave me a chance to open my mind to a lot of different things," Olomua said. "I was surprised there were a lot of Polynesians."
OLOMUA MISSED OUT on his only chance to play in Hawaii against the Warriors, as he was just finishing up his mission when the then-undefeated Cougars got roughed up 72-45 in 2001.
When he eventually did return to BYU however, he was met by a new coaching staff. Longtime coach LaVell Edwards, who played a vital role in Olomua's recruitment, retired after the 2000 season, and was replaced by Gary Crowton. Olomua felt out of place with the new staff and after redshirting his 2002 season, decided to transfer to Texas Tech, where Anae was the offensive line coach.
"When I came back, the coaches were new and had their own players and I felt kind of out of it," Olomua said. "My uncle just told me to come (to Texas Tech) and I did and it worked out."
Despite the Red Raiders offensive scheme -- which rarely uses the tight end -- Olomua thrived in his final two seasons as an inside receiver, catching 55 passes and scoring six touchdowns. His 6-foot-5, 259-pound frame provided a big target for quarterback Cody Hodges, and the two hope to continue their success one last time at the Hula Bowl, as Hodges was also named to the West squad.
"He's a big guy that can run and catch, so he presents a lot of matchup problems against smaller defensive backs, so I'm hoping in the game we can hook up and make some plays," Hodges said.
This week will go a long way in determining Olomua's chances at playing professionally, but he knows for him to do well, he needs to show scouts and coaches that he can play the true tight end position.
"You got to be able to read zones, and having such a short time to learn the offense, it's hard to really showcase your skills when you're not real sure what to do," Olomua said. "But they want to see if I'm a true tight end, so I have to show them."
He'll get that chance to "show them" in front of a crowd he has dreamed of playing for, and whether or not his football career continues, he will always have the experience of playing in the Hula Bowl as a crowning achievement in a journey that has seen its share of ups and downs.