The Way I See It
ONLY two local boys -- both Brigham Young alumni -- have made it into the NFL playoffs this season, both on wild-card teams. Two Hawaii players
reach NFL playoffsOne has been there before and the other is going for the first time.
The NFC East Champion Washington Redskins (10-6), who host Detroit (8-8) on Saturday, have a valuable backup linebacker in Kurt Gouveia, the 14th year NFL veteran from Waianae.
Gouveia didn't get the call to join the Redskins until mid-October and only had a handful of tackles. But the Redskins, who drafted the 6-foot-1, 240-pounder in the eighth round draft out of BYU in 1986, know he's a money player.
Gouveia, who was a starter for June Jones' San Diego Chargers in 1998, played for the Redskins between 1986 and 1994. He was on their Super Bowl championship teams in 1988 and 1992.
But tight end Itula Mili (Kahuku), a third-year veteran whose AFC West champion Seattle Seahawks (9-7) host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, is about to get his first taste of postseason action in the pros.
The 26-year-old Mili, who recovered from a devastating collegiate knee injury to be drafted by the Seahawks in the sixth round in 1997, had five receptions for 28 yards and one touchdown this season.
MOST disappointed this time around must be Ma'a Tanuvasa (Mililani) and former Rainbows kicker Jason Elam, both members of the last two Denver Broncos' Super Bowl championship teams.
Tanuvasa recovered from a slow start at defensive end to record seven sacks for the Broncos (6-10). That's down from his two straight seasons with a team-leading 8.5 sacks. But in a forgettable season for the Broncos, Tanuvasa proved once again he's worthy of being a starter.
Elam became Denver's all-time leading scorer this season. He had 116 points, making 29 of 36 field-goal attempts and all 29 of his point-after tries.
Despite losing his starting job to Oliver Gibson at the start of the season, Cincinnati Bengals sixth-year veteran tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen (Molokai) had a career-high 24 tackles and four sacks. Von Oelhoffen turned up his performance off the bench and wound up starting five games.
ARIZONA Cardinals (6-10) running back Adrian Murrell (Leilehua) ended his worst season in four years with a loss to Green Bay.
Murrell, a seventh-year veteran who had accomplished three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons between 1996 and 1998, finished with 553 yards. He had 335 yards receiving.
The 5-11, 211-pounder who graduated from West Virginia, had scored 21 touchdowns over his last three years but didn't get into the endzone at all this season.
Second-year pro Olin Kreutz's (St. Louis) play at center had to be a consolation for the Chicago Bears (6-10). Kreutz started all 16 games and impressed fans and coaches with his ferocity and smarts.
Especially sad was the way the season ended for Pittsburgh Steelers (6-10) running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala (St. Louis) and New Orleans Saints (3-13) linebacker Ink Aleaga (Pac-Five).
They're two young pros with a lot of potential. Neither finished the season, and both have to wonder who will be coaching their franchises next season.
Pat Bigold has covered sports for daily newspapers
in Hawaii and Massachusetts since 1978.