Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Saying "Uncle" Isn't On Tau's Mind In Hawaiii
September 01, 2011 | Football, B.G. Brooks
But on game day, one of the Buffs - senior guard Sione Tau - will be able to spot his uncle prowling the opposite sideline.
This relative is, ah, hard to miss.
Tau's uncle is Vili The Warrior, a rambunctious, bare-chested Tongan who wears ferocious face paint and frequently pounds a drum (and, pay attention Chip, occasionally other mascots) during University of Hawai'i athletic events.
Without benefit of having a family tree to leaf through a couple of days ago when we talked, here's how Tau explained his relationship to Vili The Warrior, as well as some of Vili's other vital stats:
"My grandmother on my mom's side and his mother are first cousins. I call him 'Uncle Vili.' I don't know his age (probably late 30s, early 40s), but he looks young; he's kept himself in pretty good shape. My mom talks to his wife, Linda, sometimes. That's how my family keeps in contact with him."
Although he's said to have toned down his act in recent years, Vili Fehoko in the past stirred up nearly as much controversy as enthusiasm. A sideline run-in several seasons ago with Alabama's elephant mascot resulted in Big Al having his trunk abused before the poor pachyderm was body-slammed. (Vili and the mascot later posed for pictures, so we're guessing no harm, no foul.) But UH administrators also received complaints about Vili's "Let's Make War" chant and what opposing fans sometimes considered rude and obnoxious behavior.
Vili told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in 2004, "All those things will go down the drain. I'm not going to change what I do. I feel like I've been blessed for doing this."
However, Vili apparently has dialed it down a bit, but Tau can't imagine who would want to vilify Vili.
"He's really a tradition there, and it's an inspiring thing - for the UH players - when 'Uncle Vili' is in the stadium," Tau said. "The islands are kind of a melting pot but family is really big. On the islands, it's kind of a 'the closer we are, the stronger we are' type thing."
That strong "us against the mainlanders" mentality is among the factors that visiting teams face annually in picturesque, breezy Aloha Stadium, where the Warriors are 19-16 in home openers and have lost six straight opening games to BCS conference opponents (home or away).
Tau, who attended Damien Memorial High School in Honolulu, is one of five islanders on CU's roster.
Also returning to their home state this weekend are fellow offensive linemen Paulay Asiata and Kaiwi Crabb, defensive end Juda Parker and linebacker K.T. Tu'umalo. Crabb is a redshirt freshman, the other three are true freshmen.
Assistant coaches with Hawai'i ties include veteran linebackers coach Brian Cabral and defensive line coach Mike Tuiasosopo. And there's also newly hired strength and conditioning assistant Steve Englehart, who joined Malcolm Blacken's staff in April. Englehart spent three seasons at UH (2006-08) on the strength and conditioning staff.
Along with Vili The Warrior's antics, Englehart remembers the players' inspiring their crowds with the haka (now the ha'a) war dance, a Maori ritual that has been "borrowed" by numerous college, even high school, programs from the New Zealand national rugby team, the All Blacks.
"When they say those words (in the ha'a), they mean it - and everything from their facial expressions to whatever they do," Englehart said. "It's different when they go to an away game than when they do it in Aloha Stadium. In their stadium, it gets the whole crowd fired up. My first time seeing it was just incredible...really cool, I had goose bumps all over. It's really something to see it on the field.
"It's a good atmosphere for football, especially the years I was there. They're just like any good group of fans - they get after it. But there's a way to dampen their spirits."
For the Buffs, that would be showing up focused, staying that way, taking care of business early and enjoying the long return flight to Colorado.
Not surprisingly, the five CU players returning to the island have been busy for the last several weeks trying to coax teammates into giving them tickets. Tu'umalo, who attended Punahou High School, said he needed "about 30," with Asiata's, Crabb's, Parker's and Tau's ticket requests coming in slightly lower.
"I need about 25, but my family already has about 40," said Crabb, another Punahou product who is practicing almost as much at center now as guard. "It's exciting to go back home. My dad took me all the time to Aloha Stadium...I know (UH) is really big on defending their home turf."
Asiata and Parker both finished at St. Louis High School and were recruited hard by their in-state university. But both wanted to leave the island, and ultimately chose CU.
"We've known each other since we were about 10 years old," Asiata said. "We met at church and from the sixth grade on up we've been buddies."
All five of CU's islanders could play on Saturday, but for Tau the experience would be particularly meaningful if he reaches the field. He's a senior who is yet to play his first college snap, having redshirted in 2007, then missing the next two seasons due to academic ineligibility (2008) and a suspension (2009). He was eligible last season but backed up All-American left tackle Nate Solder, who played every offensive down. Tau hasn't played in a game since 2006, his senior season at St. Louis.
"It could be my first game to play in and it would be at home and my family could see me...that makes it special," Tau said. "I've been thinking about it since last season when we played Hawai'i here. Yeah, I'm excited for this trip."
BUFF BITS: CU and Hawai'i have another two-game, home-and-home series schedule. The Warriors will visit Boulder on Sept. 20, 2014, the Buffs will return to Honolulu on Sept. 5, 2015...The series is tied 1-1, with Hawai'i's win coming in 1925 (13-0) ...UH is 28-51 against current members of the Pac-12 and has played at least one Pac-12 opponent since 2005 (3-3 record at home)...If you're counting, it's 3,329 miles from Boulder to Honolulu...The Buffs will leave immediately following Saturday night's game and are scheduled to arrive in Denver at 9:35 a.m. Sunday. They will resume practice on Monday afternoon for their 2011 home opener against Cal (Sept. 10, 1:30 p.m.).
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
