Fuata stands out
with his play

But you probably won’t
notice him, on a team
crowded with star linemen

---

By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com

If Hawaii center Lui Fuata wasn't so centered, he might have an identity crisis.

A Warriors fan asked yesterday if Fuata was a defensive lineman last year. No, that would be Lui Fuga.

Fuata's fellow senior on the offensive line, right guard Vince Manuwai, is gaining name recognition faster than a sign-waving candidate for political office. He's on Mel Kiper Jr.'s short list for the next NFL Draft and the subject of a USA Today article tomorrow.

Uriah Moenoa, the sophomore starter at right tackle, is an engaging character, entertaining with his wit and his guitar. His personality is almost as big as that of the jovially profane line coach Mike Cavanaugh.

Junior left tackle Wayne Hunter is the most intriguing, as he attempts to convert from defensive end. Senior left guard Shayne Kajioka is the inspirational one, losing 60 pounds to become a viable player.

Fuata? He's the low-key but efficient center of no attention.

Warriors offensive linemen are relatively high profile. But Fuata has gone almost unnoticed throughout his UH career, despite starting the past 21 games at left tackle. That's hard to do at 6-feet-2 and 313 pounds.

But his teammates and coaches know all about him.

"Maybe publicly, but not on the team," an appreciative coach June Jones said of Fuata's lack of notoriety. "Lui's been one of our most dependable guys. He's a good kid and a hard worker. One of our best."

Cavanaugh said Fuata goes unnoticed because he does his job.

"He's one of those guys who makes it fun to watch film on Sundays," Cavanaugh said. "He can play anywhere on the line, he's got great feet. But playing center will help him (get drafted). He's definitely an inside guy at the next level."

Fuata played center throughout high school at Lahainaluna.

"It's not a strange position to me," he said. "It's kind of fun getting back to it. I'm very comfortable and don't anticipate any problems."

He certainly doesn't foresee any difficulties like the ones in his true freshman year, when as a redshirt in 1998 he endured UH's 0-12 season.

"I experienced a real low that year. Since then, we've been on the rise. Our goal is to be in the Top 25 in the nation. We think we have a real good chance to do it," Fuata said.

It starts with Eastern Illinois on Aug. 31 -- not with Brigham Young the following Friday, Fuata said.

"We made that mistake last year," Fuata said. "We learned. We're wiser. We don't underestimate anyone."

New players arriving: Jones said incoming freshmen and junior college transfers "trickled in" throughout the day yesterday. "We don't anticipate anyone coming in late," Jones said.

The new players will be indoctrinated today and tomorrow before being joined by the veterans, who report Thursday. The first practice is Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., with a second session from 3 to 5 p.m.

Former Warriors doing well: Cavanaugh said Brian Smith (Ravens) and Manly Kanoa (Falcons) are doing well in their first NFL camps.

"Brian is starting to learn the regular center plays in addition to doing short and long snapping," Cavanaugh said. "And if Manly was so bad as some people said he was, they would have tossed him out already. Don't get me wrong. He still has a lot of work to do, but he's getting a lot of team reps."

Stutzmann intern at KHON: Craig Stutzmann is interning with the KHON-TV2 sports department after being cut by British Columbia of the CFL last month.

"Hopefully, I'll get to do some interviews this fall," said Stutzmann, who was shadowing another former UH slotback, KHON sports reporter John Veneri, yesterday.

... in 1977, UCLA assistant Dick Tomey (right) assumed the head coaching reins at Hawaii and the Rainbows went 5-6, one of two losing seasons in Tomey's 10-year tenure. Tomey's UH teams went 63-46-3. He left to become the Arizona coach after the 1987 season, where the Wildcats went 95-64-4 in his 14 years. Tomey is the winningest coach at both schools. This fall, Tomey returns for a second season in the KFVE broadcast booth as Jim Leahey's color analyst for UH games.