WAIMEA — Daniel Te’o-Nesheim — a former NFL player, Washington Huskies standout, Hawaii Preparatory Academy graduate and head football coach — died over the weekend.
He was 30 years old. The details of his death are not immediately known.
Te’o-Nesheim was born in American Samoa, but attended high school at Hawaii Prep. He served as an assistant before taking over the head coaching position this season at his alma mater, where he was a three-time all-BIIF selection as a two-way lineman.
Back on his old stomping grounds, Te’o-Nesheim seemed at home on the field he came up on as a prep football star.
“When the opportunity came I jumped on it,” Te’o-Nesheim said in an interview before the season. “I love this school. Anything I can do to be part of this community, I’ll do it.”
Te’o-Nesheim was also a dorm parent at Hawaii Prep, which was still reeling from the loss after news spread of his passing on Monday.
“Hawaii Preparatory Academy was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend, colleague, and alumnus Daniel Te‘o-Nesheim,” the school said in a statement. “HPA is working to support our students and community through this difficult time. We feel Daniel’s loss acutely in our HPA ohana, and our hearts go out to his family and friends.”
Former Kealakehe head coach and current Konawaena defensive coordinator Sam Papalii got to know Te‘o-Nesheim on a variety of levels, both on and off the field. While he schemed against him during the BIIF season, he recruited Te’o-Nesheim to play in the Samoa Bowl after his senior year — a game that matched up Hawaii’s best prep players against an American Samoa all-star team. Te’o-Nesheim, who was proud of his Samoan heritage, jumped at the opportunity.
Playing along side fellow future NFLer Tyson Alualu, Te‘o-Nesheim and the Hawaii squad won the game 20-0. But the trip was very much about the cultural experience as well, and Te‘o-Nesheim took Papalii to meet his family at his home village.
Papalii had hoped to reunite and catch up with Te’o-Nesheim when the Wildcats and Ka Makani met this season, but the game was forfeitted by Hawaii Prep.
“It’s very sad news about a young man taken too early,” Papalii said. “Daniel had a great sense of humor, was a good person and a great competitor on the gridiron and throwing the shotput and discus during the track and field season.”
After making his mark with Ka Makani as a player, Te’o-Nesheim went on to become the all-time sack leader at Washington before he graduated in 2009. His 30 career sacks still have him second on the Huskies’ all-time list, behind another former Hawaii product, Hauoli Kikaha (36). He was also the team’s defensive MVP in 2007 and a two-time captain.
“All of Montlake mourns the loss of former Husky, Daniel Te’o-Nesheim,” the school said in a statement. “Deepest condolences to his friends and family.”
Psalm Wooching, a Kealakehe graduate who followed Te’o-Nesheim at Washington, shared some words on Twitter after hearing of his passing.
“Rest in Paradise bro,” Wooching wrote. “You paved the way for Big Island kids to accomplish their dreams. Thanks for all you’ve done.”
Washington sports-information director Jeff Bechthold added his thoughts via social media, as well.
“No Husky in my time here has ever combined such a friendly, laid-back persona off the field with a non-stop intensity on it,” Bechthold wrote. “RIP, Daniel.”
Te’o-Nesheim was the Eagles’ third-round pick in 2010. After a year in Philadelphia, he spent his next three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He started 26 games between 2012 and 2013 with the Bucs. His best season came in 2012, when he collected 40 total tackles and four sacks
