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Tuesday, February 29, 2000

3 Rainbows
among best at
NFL combine

Noa, Klemm and Ulbrich
figure to go between rounds
2-4 of the NFL Draft

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

Three University of Hawaii players emerged from the National Football League combine this past weekend rated among the top seven at their positions.

Kaulana Noa, Adrian Klemm and Jeff Ulbrich will likely be drafted between the second and fourth rounds of the NFL Draft in April. Klemm could possibly be picked late in the first round.

"I talked with both of my guys (Noa and Klemm) today and they thought they did really well," UH offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh said. "I hear Adrian could go really early, depending on what a team needs.

"I saw tape of a lot guys who are rated higher than Adrian at that position and I thought he had much more upside potential. He's going to be a really good left tackle some day."

Klemm is rated seventh among the nation's top tackles by NFL Draft Digest. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Klemm was unable to run for the scouts at the combine because of a high ankle sprain he suffered in the first quarter at the Senior Bowl.

"But that apparently didn't bother anybody," Cavanaugh said. "His footwork and quickness aren't a problem. He ran a 4.940.

"What the scouts wanted to see this weekend was his overall strength because that's an area of concern. He needs to get stronger and he's doing that."

Strength is not a problem for Noa, who is rated the fourth-best guard in the upcoming draft. Despite playing tackle his entire collegiate career with the Rainbows, NFL teams see the 6-3, 310-pounder as a guard in the pros.

As NFL Draft Digest described Noa, "He is a sleeping giant among the major college prospects. Noa has quietly put together a solid college career and received a lot of attention from scouts."

Noa is good enough to play both positions, Cavanaugh said.

"He is a great utility guy because he can play guard and tackle," Cavanaugh said. "He's a 5.3 guy in the 40, so he's not as fast as Adrian, but he can flat tear you up in run blocking and is solid at pass blocking, too."

As for Ulbrich, the former inside linebacker for the Rainbows is being penciled in as an inside guy along the lines of Zach Thomas of the Miami Dolphins.

Entering his senior campaign, not too many scouts had heard of the 6-0, 249-pound Ulbrich.

But Ulbrich has quietly moved up the charts. NFL Draft Digest compares him to Washington Redskins linebacker Kurt Gouveia of Waianae. Ulbrich is rated the sixth-best inside linebacker available.

"And those aren't the only guys we have who will get a chance to play on Sunday," UH head coach June Jones said. "We have several other guys who I think have a chance to stick around in the right situation."

The leading contenders in that group are offensive linemen Dustin Owen and Andy Phillips, wide receiver Dwight Carter, defensive back Quincy LeJay and outside linebacker Yaphet Warren.

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UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii