COURESEY JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Kahuku alumnus Chris Naeole, who was with the Saints for five years, has helped the Jaguars get off to a 3-1 start.
Naeole happy It's about 500 miles from New Orleans to Jacksonville, but for Chris Naeole the two cities are a world apart.
to be winning
in new home
The Kahuku alumnus has put his
New Orleans days behind himBy Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.comA Kahuku High School alumnus, Naeole spent five years with the NFL's Saints before signing with the Jaguars as a free agent before this season, and he talks glowingly about his new Florida home.
"Sometimes you need a change," the 6-foot-3, 314-pound starting guard said. "It was fine in New Orleans. We talked to see if we could work things out there. But I like it a lot better here. It's a lot better place to raise a family, and it's kind of a cheap version of Hawaii. There's a beach, a lot of ocean, but the water isn't as blue as it is in Hawaii."
On the field, Naeole is adjusting to life with Jacksonville's high-flying offense.
The Jaguars are 3-1 and looking very much like a contender in the new AFC South, and they're three points -- a 28-25 loss to Indianapolis in the opener -- from being undefeated.
Most prognosticators had them struggling this year, trying to beat the salary-cap doldrums.
"We've got a lot of talent at our skill positions, a lot of firepower with guys like (quarterback) Mark Brunell, (running back) Fred Taylor and (receiver) Jimmy Smith," Naeole said. "So that's a huge plus. When you don't have a playmaker, it's hard to move the ball. Most of the time I spent with the Saints, we didn't have a playmaker."
Naeole said the Saints self-destructed a year ago (losing their last four games to finish 7-9) because many small problems "began to eat away at team chemistry."
This year, he's putting a lot of importance on playing strong in the latter part of the season.
"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," he said. "We want to keep ascending and try not to take any big steps backwards. Everybody wants to go to the playoffs and to the Super Bowl and collect them extra pay checks.
"And in this league, you never know what can happen. Just look at the Monday night game (two weeks ago), nobody thought Baltimore had a chance (against Denver). It doesn't matter who you are. Look at St. Louis at (0-5). And when I first got into the league, Denver was a powerhouse. Nowadays, you never know."
Naeole said he and his teammates on the offensive line are beginning to jell.
"I came in and had to get used to the system and play with a whole new group of guys," he said. "We're slowly picking it up and playing as a unit.
"As a team, we're sticking to coach (Tom) Coughlin's regimen and moving forward. He's a strict guy, but it doesn't bother me. I just go out and play and do my job."
Naeole was surprised when he heard about his alma mater's loss to Roosevelt two weeks ago.
"It made me think back; I don't know when the last time was that we lost to Roosevelt, man," he said. "It's usually one of those games you don't think you're going to lose. We'll see, maybe they'll get their act together and be back at the top."
During his rookie season in 1997, Naeole missed all but four games because of a knee injury. Since 1998, the durable sixth-year veteran has started all but one game.
One of Naeole's good friends bought a satellite dish this year, so Naeole's family and friends don't have to travel all the way from the North Shore to "The Shack" in Hawaii Kai (which also has a dish) to watch Jaguar games.
"They've been going down there the last few years, and it's a long drive, so they had to get up really early," Naeole said. "They tell me sometimes they would run into Olin's parents there (Olin Kreutz is a starting Chicago Bears center and a St. Louis School alum)."
Naeole and the Jaguars are coming off a 28-25 upset of Philadelphia, and they host division rival Tennessee on Sunday with a chance to maintain at least a tie for first place with Indianapolis (3-1).
"I'm just trying to play hard and we're trying to make it ... get into the playoffs and see what happens," Naeole said.
Jacksonville Jaguars
