[ PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL ]
LaBoy, Sopoaga could
end up in the Bay AreaThe former Warriors would help
fill needs for the San Francisco 49ers
or Oakland Raiders
Football fandom in the San Francisco Bay Area is generally a love-hate relationship. You love either the 49ers or the Raiders and hate the other.
It wasn't quite that way for Hawaii defensive end Travis LaBoy, though, who grew up in Marin County, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge and west of Oakland.
"Honestly, I was never a fan of either team, even though I loved football as a kid," LaBoy said in a phone interview from California this week. "I was a fan of players like Bo Jackson and Ronnie Lott. Both teams had a lot of players I really liked. Now I like both teams. I couldn't not like one. One of my favorite players is Jerry Rice. He played for both. What do I do with that?"
There's a chance LaBoy (6-foot-3, 253 pounds) will become a teammate of his hero on the Raiders tomorrow. The Western Athletic Conference's defensive player of the year is predicted by most to be chosen in the second or third round of the NFL Draft. One of Oakland's needs is defensive end.
San Francisco is also looking closely at LaBoy. And his UH linemate, defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga, has a chance of ending up a 49er, too. San Francisco needs help up front on defense. Sopoaga is considered among the top seven or eight at his position, and will likely go in the second round. New England and Kansas City are also major possibilities for the Samoan strongman.
Although his bench press prowess is legendary, the 6-foot-3, 318-pound Sopoaga's athleticism sets him apart from other defensive tackles, an NFL scout said.
"Most of them are just big, strong guys. Isaac is a pretty good athlete. He bends his knees pretty well, moves pretty quickly," said the scout, who requested anonymity. "As far as being strong and stout, he's right up there. He, along with guys like the Oregon guys (Junior Siavii and Igor Olshansky), have size and strength and are hard to get a push on."
Questions about Sopoaga and LaBoy's intangible attributes have been answered satisfactorily after months of scrutiny, at least in the scout's opinion.
Sopoaga had difficulty with the Wonderlic intelligence test taken by NFL prospects each year. Sopoaga's score was higher than only two of 141 players tested. The scout said that won't matter tomorrow.
"He's at a position where what they require you to do and learn by being conscientious, and that should be enough," the scout said. "I think he's above average in intelligence and it's just a language thing. As long as he works at it he should be OK."
The same scout said LaBoy's reputation for being injury-prone and his not qualifying academically for his final UH game won't cost him at this point.
"He's had a couple of really productive years on the field. He's competitive on the field and plays hard," he said. "Some guys are better when they only have one or two tasks to worry about rather than five or six, which is what college is."
Since December, LaBoy has put all his energy toward his future career.
"It feels good. I know what I'm getting ready for -- football. I've devoted the majority of my time to that. I feel great physically," said LaBoy, who had shoulder, wrist, abdomen and foot injuries while at UH. "It's been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, just like it's every kid's dream from the time you're playing touch. Just this last week I've realized I'm going to play at the next level. I'd love to stay on the West Coast, close to home. But this is a dream and I'll give any team 100 percent."
In addition to the Bay Area teams, the Ravens, Titans, Texans and Steelers have shown interest in LaBoy.
UH cornerback Kelvin Millhouse and wide receiver Jeremiah Cockheran and Arizona linebacker Joe Siofele (Saint Louis School) might be picked late in the draft Sunday. If not, they will likely get free-agent opportunities.
DRAFTING WARRIORS
Eight UH players have been drafted by NFL teams during coach June Jones' tenure.
2003 Player Pos. Team Rnd. » Pisa Tinoisamoa LB St. Louis 2nd » Vince Manuwai OL Jacksonville 3rd » Wayne Hunter OL Seattle 3rd 2002 » Ashley Lelie WR Denver 1st 2001 » Kynan Forney OL Atlanta 7th 2000 » Adrian Klemm OL New England 2nd » Jeff Ulbrich LB San Francisco 3rd » Kaulana Noa OL St. Louis 4th