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Monday, March 5, 2001
UH shuffles One started at defensive end all last year.
its deck of
linebackers
Correia, Brown and
Tinoisamoa could land as
starters for WarriorsBy Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinAnother isn't sure he'll be playing Division I football in the fall.
The other has shifted from the middle to the outside. Welcome to the heart and soul of the University of Hawaii football team.
If you had told Chris Brown, Joe Correia and Pisa Tinoisamoa last fall that they could be the starting linebackers for the Warriors this Sept. 8 against the University of Montana, they probably would have patted you on the back and said, "Yeah right, old-timer.''
Not even the Hawaii assistant coaches envisioned this threesome, at least, not for the 2000 campaign. But several things have happened over the past few months to allow such an experiment to take place.
The key reasons are the additions of transfers Travis Laboy and Wayne Hunter. These two defensive bookends up front, coupled with the steady development of Laanui Correa and Houston Ala, give defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa such a good deck of cards, he's able to shuffle it regularly.
"Right now, we're doing a little experimenting with some guys,'' Lempa said. "I don't want to say too much, but Joe has looked good lining up over the tight end. Putting Pisa on the weak side is a more natural position for him and Chris Brown has the kind of mental makeup to play the middle.''
Brown is excited about the possibilities, but concedes the learning curve is deadly. A defensive end by trade, the Kahaluu resident will do what's asked of him for the good of the team. He has a stocky frame with good quickness, perfectly suited for taking on the big, but slower boys up front.
His good first step and natural instincts should serve him well as he adjusts from not only being the leader of the defense emotionally, but mentally as well.
"The middle linebacker is the quarterback of the defense and that's a big responsibility,'' Brown said. "I told the coaches I would do it. But there's a lot to learn. You have to see what the play is, react to it and be prepared to be hit from all sides. It's a lot different from playing end, but I welcome the challenge.''
Correia is a former quarterback of the offensive kind, who had to fight through injuries that plagued him the last two seasons. So much so, the defensive end missed most of last year and is hopeful the NCAA will grant him a sixth campaign via a medical hardship. The Western Athletic Conference has given its approval.
"So I'm hopeful I'll be back,'' Correia said. "But I'll feel a lot better when I get the letter.
"Right now, I'm enjoying the switch. It's a lot like playing defensive end, only you're standing up. I line up on the strong side, wherever the tight end is. It's good so far.''
Lempa has been pleased with Correia's progress. But if for some reason the NCAA turns down the appeal, he is working with another former quarterback --San Diego's Kevin Jackson. Like Correia, he's long and lean, and could wreak havoc in the outside passing lanes.
"When those guys are coming off the edge or dropping back in coverage with their hands outstretched, well, it's tough to see around them,'' Lempa said. "Both are learning a new position, so, it's going to take the spring and fall camp to help get them adjusted to what they're going to see and what their responsibilities are.''
The same can't be said for Tinoisamoa. The former San Diego-area standout made a living at outside linebacker in high school, attracting major schools from across the country. This is a spot better suited for his size and speed. Like Brown, he was willing to do what was best for the team by playing the middle last season.
It hurt his progress. But when it became apparent that Rinda Brooks was better in the fast lane coming off the edge, the senior was moved outside and Tinoisamoa did his best in the middle of the action.
"It's very difficult moving inside when you've played outside most of your career,'' UH linebackers coach George Lumpkin said. "That was Rinda's problem also. It's not an easy thing to do.
"But I like what I see from Chris in the middle. He has a lot of potential. So do Joe and Pisa. We've got a good group of linebackers who have to learn different positions. So, you've got to give them some time to develop.''
Time is what Tinoisamoa needed to adjust to the rigors of Division I football. At the beginning of last season, he appeared a step slow, unable to get outside to help make tackles on the perimeter. By season's end, he had improved enough to start three of the final four games.
He finished with a career-high 12 tackles in the season-ender against Nevada-Las Vegas. Tinoisamoa also had three quarterback sacks, a number he figures to improve upon now that he's coming from the weak side.
"It's fun playing out there, but it's different,'' Tinoisamoa said. "You get a chance to just move around to the ball more. Our D-line is even better than they were last year. They just let me roam around making plays everywhere. That's the key -- the guys up front.
"It's a lot better when you don't have big linemen in your face or on your back all the time like in the middle. I played outside in high school, so I pretty much know the position. But it's still different in college. I'm still getting a grasp of it. If they ask me to switch back to the middle, I'm there. I'll play wherever I'm needed the most.''
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