Warriors to get
2 Gouveias into camp
The NFL veteran will help out
the Warriors as a student-assistant
More than 20 years after his NFL-bound father wasn't offered a football scholarship at the University of Hawaii, Landon Gouveia will walk on to the Warriors. And the father, Kurt Gouveia, will be right there to see it unfold.
"I'm excited for my son," said Kurt, who was the Star-Bulletin's All-State offensive and defensive player of the year in 1981.
The former star at Waianae High School, Brigham Young and in the NFL will serve as a UH football student-assistant, a position he held with the Warriors in 2002.
Landon Gouveia, a standout running back and defensive back at Stone Bridge High School in Loudoun County, Va., will begin his tryout as a freshman slotback when all players report Sunday. At 5-feet-9 and 165 pounds, he didn't receive Division I scholarship offers.
"I've seen him on tape, and he's quick, good acceleration," Hawaii coach June Jones said. "I think we can make him a slot."
Jones is trying to help Kurt Gouveia eventually get into the coaching ranks. The original plan was for Gouveia to be a graduate assistant this fall, but Gouveia needed to complete his bachelor's degree work this summer to do so.
"I still probably need nine-to-12 credits," said Kurt Gouveia, a business management major. "I'm planning to take them at UH."
Gouveia had one of the most successful careers of any football player from Hawaii. He played quarterback and safety on a Prep Bowl championship team at Waianae, and was a linebacker for BYU's 1984 national championship team and two Super-Bowl winners with the Washington Redskins. He is a member of the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame.
Jones was interim head coach of the San Diego Chargers in 1998 when Gouveia was the starting middle linebacker there.
Although Gouveia is not allowed to coach as a student-assistant, he said he considers it part of paying his dues to eventually become a coach.
"I'm really looking forward to helping out at UH again, being around June and the staff there," he said.
Assistant to be announced soon: A special teams coordinator and offensive assistant coach to fill out the UH staff will be named within the next few days, Jones said.
Darrel "Mouse" Davis will be the new coach, sources have told the Star-Bulletin. Jones and Davis have declined comment.
Davis was Jones' coach at Portland State, and the two have coached with each other at several USFL and NFL teams.
Davis is head coach of the San Diego Riptide of arenafootball2. The Riptide completed their season Friday.
Jones sets up foundation: Jones has formed a nonprofit, tax-exempt foundation to help families of children with life-threatening illnesses and other charitable causes.
The foundation's first two fund-raisers are set: a 5K run and walk Aug. 28, and a celebrity golf tournament next June 20-21 at Hokuli'a Golf Course on the Big Island.
For information, go to junejonesfoundation.org on the Internet or write to: June Jones Foundation, P.O. Box 11330, Honolulu, HI 96828.
uhathletics.hawaii.edu
