It’s pretty hard to find a positive from the University of Hawaii football team being shut out in the NFL Draft.
It’s pretty hard to find a positive from the University of Hawaii football team being shut out in the NFL Draft.
Again, for the second year in a row.
The last time a Rainbow Warrior was chosen was in 2015, when running back Joey Iosefa went in the seventh round to Tampa Bay. And he was the first UH draftee since 2012, when linebacker Aaron Brown was picked by the Rams, also in the seventh and final round.
But, you can look at it this way: That was a tremendous job of teamwork, and coaching, for UH to win seven games last year, including a bowl game, without even one draft-eligible player among the 253 chosen by the NFL. And that, after five consecutive losing seasons.
It helps put things in perspective when you see that Michigan — which beat Hawaii 63-3 last September — had 11 players drafted. That’s two more than UH has had chosen, total, in the past 10 drafts.
Maybe it takes some of the sting out of it when you consider eight players were picked from the entire 12-team Mountain West Conference. Hawaii was among eight MWC teams with no one drafted.
The first pick from the conference didn’t come until the third and final day, when San Diego State offensive lineman Nico Siragusa went to the Ravens in the fourth round.
Aztecs running back Donnel Pumphrey went 10 picks later to the Eagles. That’s more evidence of how little respect the Mountain West gets; Pumphrey is the third-leading rusher in FBS history, behind only Ron Dayne and Tony Dorsett. Pumphrey also wasn’t picked earlier because he weighs just 176 pounds.
Lightweight or not, he certainly looked like the real deal against UH. But, again, perspective: Those 260 yards and three touchdowns Pumphrey amassed in 28-14 and 55-0 wins over Hawaii were against defensive units bereft of talent judged NFL-worthy.
Now, that statement might have to be amended at some point, possibly next year, or the year after. Safety Trayvon Henderson or linebacker Jahlani Tavai might be drafted in 2018 or 2019.
Or, maybe linebacker Jerrol Garcia-Williams sticks with the Broncos, who picked him up as a free agent Saturday.
When UH head coach Nick Rolovich joined the Warriors as a junior college transfer quarterback, Hawaii was coming off five years of no draft selectees — the longest drought in school history.
Those were five consecutive losing seasons, culminating with the rock-bottom 0-12 of 1998. But after June Jones replaced Fred vonAppen and UH went 9-4 in 1999, offensive lineman Adrian Klemm (Patriots), linebacker Jeff Ulbrich (49ers) and offensive lineman Kaulana Noa (Rams) went in the second, third and fourth rounds.
Hawaii’s improvement when Rolovich took over as coach after four losing seasons under Norm Chow wasn’t as drastic as what was then the biggest turnaround in college football history. But Rolovich’s positive impact is undeniable, especially considering the murderous nonconference schedule.
UH’s recent recruiting class reflected that improvement; except among the homegrown talent, where UH was shut out in battles with big-name schools … schools that get players drafted, every year.
“I think we have to show some consistency in how we play and rebuild,” Rolovich said, addressing the lack of NFL draftees. “There’s a lot of rebuilding of our reputation to do not just for Hawaii and the fans, but for how the NFL perceives us. We hear terms like ‘selfish’ and ‘don’t know how to win.’ That’s the opposite of what it used to be.”
It may seem pretty obvious that players from winning programs are more likely to be drafted than those who do not. But Rolovich said NFL decision-makers are factoring in character issues more than ever now. And football is a game where individual sacrifice often leads to winning.
“Character is becoming more and more of a bigger deal-breaker for (the NFL),” he said. “They know their TV numbers were down, and they don’t need anything negative. Just like when we’re recruiting our guys.”
UH athletic director David Matlin acknowledges that football prospects often use the draft as a factor in choosing a college. But he prefers to emphasize academics, since most athletes won’t be going pro. And that’s true everywhere, even at Michigan and Alabama where fewer than 50 percent of the football players end up in the NFL.
“Nick has done a fine job in developing these young men in the classroom and on the field,” Matlin said. “I look forward to us continuing to grow our graduation numbers and professional football and career opportunities.”