[ UH FOOTBALL ]
LaBoy honored
as UH’s MVPSingletary says LaBoy has
‘freakish talent’ like
Randy Moss
Travis LaBoy is a defensive end and Randy Moss is a wide receiver. That's just one reason comparing them is sure to raise an eyebrow or two.
But when it comes to natural athletic talent, Hawaii defensive line coach Vantz Singletary isn't far off the mark.
"Travis (LaBoy) is our Randy Moss. Slick, silky," Singletary said. "I think that puts it all in a nutshell. It seems like he's not working and he does it effortlessly. Not so much technique. They're similar in many ways. It's scary."
LaBoy was honored at the Warriors' annual team banquet last night as UH's most valuable player for the 2003 season.
After making the comparison, Singletary emphasized he doesn't mean that LaBoy has been in legal trouble like Moss, or that he possesses a selfish attitude.
"When I say Randy Moss, I mean ability. I'm flat-out talking about ability. They both have freakish talent," Singletary said.
But LaBoy has had some detractors question his commitment and the extent of injuries that kept him out of many practices during his sophomore and junior seasons after he transferred to UH from Utah State.
"People think he takes plays off, practices, but he's a great individual," Singletary said. "And he's one of the smartest players I've ever coached."
LaBoy missed few practices this season -- and few quarterbacks. With a sack of Boise State's Ryan Dinwiddie on Saturday, LaBoy has a Western Athletic Conference-leading 13 sacks this season and at least one in each of the past six games. He also leads UH with 22 tackles for loss among his total of 76. He led UH with nine tackles on Saturday.
LaBoy intercepted passes in the past two games, and with a fumble recovery for a touchdown last month at Nevada, has created turnovers in three out of the last four games. LaBoy's interception on Saturday set up the game's first touchdown, giving UH its only lead against the No. 18-ranked Broncos.
Boise State finished its regular season at 12-1 and went unbeaten in the WAC (8-0) for the second year in a row. Hawaii is 8-5 and 5-3. BSU goes on to play Texas Christian in the Fort Worth Bowl, and the Warriors play Houston in the Hawaii Bowl.
Singletary said the 6-foot-3, 254-pound LaBoy will likely go in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, partly because of natural talent, and partly because of his improved ability to stop the run.
"He can slip and elude while keeping his eyes on the quarterback. He has unbelievable vision. He has instinct, vision and great feet control," Singletary said. "He's like a cheetah, a panther. He creeps and sneaks up on you and wraps you up. He's wildlife. When I watch the nature channel, I think of Travis."
"I didn't try to teach him much technique, except for improving on the run," Singletary said. "I told him we need him on tight end and that would help us, and he certainly did that. He's made great adjustments to attack tight ends and tackles and squeeze and restrict running lanes. He became a much better player against the run."
Other honorees at last night's banquet:
>> Senior defensive tackle Lance Samuseva is the Ben Yee Most Inspirational Player for the second year in a row.Taking a break: The Warriors will take this week off from practice. Practice sessions for the Dec. 25 Hawaii Bowl are tentatively scheduled to start a week from today.>> Senior safety David Gilmore received the Scholar-Athlete Award.
>> Captains Awards went to senior wide receiver Jeremiah Cockheran, senior safety Hyrum Peters and sophomore punt cover gunner Omega Hogan.
>> Warrior Club Awards were given to freshman offensive guard Samson Satele, sophomore linebacker Ikaika Curnan and freshman punter Kurt Milne.
>> The Scout Team Awards went to freshman running back Doug Wylie, sophomore linebacker Laiana Wong and freshman special teams player Rustin Saole.
Coaches will be busy though, as UH's recruiting heats up. The Warriors have 14 scholarships to offer. Hawaii already has one member of this year's class committed, slotback Jason Ferguson.