Jacksonville’s “Hawaiian Bunch”

By Paul Stanley  |   Sunday, August 06, 2006  |  Comments( 5 )

Jacksonville Jaguars
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Hawaii.

An island group well-known for its enormous waves, volcanic peaks, Polynesian women and lei-wielding welcoming committees.

And, of course, its propensity for churning out world-class football players.

With a head count of roughly 1,275,000 inhabitants, Hawaii has the eighth-lowest population size out of America's 50 states. Amazingly, slightly smaller than recent population estimates of the city of Jacksonville.

Yet, based on a 2004 study on NFL player backgrounds, Hawaii also ranked eighth among the 50 states in the number of players from its high schools who now fill a spot on a pro roster, a ranking that is steadily growing with each passing year.

With four Hawaiians currently vying for spots on the final 53-man roster, the Jaguars have more Hawaiian players on their team than any other franchise in the NFL. In the 11 years since the team's inception, the Jags have consistently held this title. Were Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala still on the squad, the Jaguars would have the distinction of fielding more Hawaiians in one season than any other team in NFL history.

Back to the topic of Hawaiian football. One of the reasons for the rising football talent pool in Hawaii is the fervent high school football fan base that exists. In Hawaiian sports culture, high school football is king - to the point that games are regularly broadcast on statewide television stations and big high school matchups are frequently scheduled in the 55,000-seat Aloha Bowl arena. Kahuku, Hawaii's premier high school football team, was visited by more than 20 NCAA Division I-A scouting representatives in 2004. Last year, Sports Illustrated ranked the athletic program of Punahou, another Hawaiian high school, fourth out of the near 38,000 football programs in the United States.

The NFL Pro Bowl, which is held annually in the Aloha Bowl in Honolulu, is more than just a game to Hawaiians. It is a protracted, week-long celebration replete with league-organized festivals, public practices, block parties, concerts and contests set up for both fans and players alike. As mentioned earlier, Hawaii's lack of professional sports franchises is another factor that contributes both to the popularity of the island state's many high school football programs and to the enormous fan base of the "Big Kahuna" of Hawaiian athletics - the University of Hawaii.

Football at the University of Hawaii had something of a checkered past before the arrival of June Jones, a former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1994-1996. Jones took the reins from Hawaii's old coach, Fred von Appen, who was fired after leading (or failing to lead) the Rainbow Warriors to a 17-game losing streak, including all 12 games in his final season. In his first year as coach, Jones did more than just steady the sinking ship that the University of Hawaii football program had become. Jones took total control of the helm and captained the team to a 9-3 record, completing the greatest single-season turnaround in Div. I-A history.

As head coach, Jones was responsible for building a stockpile of prominent college football players, many of whom have gone on to thrive in the National Football League. Three of Jones' former Warriors - Vince Manuwai, Wayne Hunter and Chad Owens - are currently on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster. Chris Naeole, who grew up in Hawaii but spent his college years blocking defensive linemen as a Colorado Buffalo, rounds out the "Hawaiian Bunch" of the Jaguars.

The presence of the "Hawaiian Bunch" has catapulted the state's interest in the team. Despite being about as far away as geographically possible, the Jaguars have quickly become the professional football team to watch in Hawaii. According to last year's Google Search records, the term "Jaguars" was queried tens of thousands of times across the island-state, giving Honolulu the fifth highest search count for that phrase out of any city in the world. In addition to the team's stable of standout Hawaiian players from the University of Hawaii, the Jaguars have also acquired two former Hula Bowl MVPs in Derrick Wimbush and Brent Hawkins - a fact that is not lost on Hawaiian football fans who live and die for the premier invitational venue.

The offensive line, staffed by three Hawaiians and another player with biological ties to Hawaii, is already starting to look like a squad of beefy South Pacific sumo wrestlers. Contrast the look with that of Chad Owens, the Jacksonville Jaguars' small, speedy receiver destined to make a significant impact on the field this year, and you get the full spectrum of Hawaiian athletic talent.

So far, things are looking up for this group. As a whole, they are responsible for making some indisputably positive contributions to the team.

As long as Chris Naeole doesn't convince the rest of the squad to subscribe to his habit of wearing Hawaiian skirts to training camp, those contributions appear poised to remain in the black for a long time to come.

- Get more original Jacksonville Jaguars coverage at Realfootball365.com
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