Ezra Evaimalo and Jamar Sekona are both college graduates. Evaimalo has a degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Hawaii, and Sekona’s is in social sciences with an emphasis on psychology, from USC.
Some of their post-grad research now at UH includes history …that of those who excelled before them as defensive tackles at Manoa.
Their new position coach is Jeff Reinebold, who knows that history isn’t just about learning from mistakes of the past, but from the positives, too. That’s why he has his players learn about and report on former UH linemen, many of whom played before today’s athletes were born. They include a first-team All-American and men who played on Super Bowl-winning teams.
“When you’re a defensive lineman at the University of Hawaii, it connects you to a long history of great players,” Reinebold said after a practice last week. “You can go back to guys like Larry Cole, Al Noga and Ma‘a Tanuvasa. When you talk about and learn about those guys, and even a lot of the guys who weren’t superstars but worked hard, you learn about what it takes to succeed.”
As always the interior line is a major key for the defense. Control the middle of the line and good things are much more likely to happen.
Evaimalo, from Waianae and Kamehameha, led the 2023 Warriors with 3.5 sacks in 10 games with just two starts. As a team, the Warriors totaled 23 sacks.
The interior linemen hope to help improve on that by executing new defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman’s schemes, with the technique coaching from Reinebold.
Reinebold was not a stranger to most of the players when he joined the staff this year. In 2022, he held the position of director of player development. He was also on the Warriors coaching staff in 2006 and 2007, after he served as an overqualified graduate assistant in 2005.
“With Coach Jeff, when you look at the players he developed and the product, the fruit they produced, it’s kind of hard not to buy into what he’s saying,” Evaimalo said.
Reinebold is in his 42nd year as a college and pro football coach. He’s back for the same reason he took whatever job he could to get on board at UH in 2005. He senses something great brewing and wants to be part of it. The Warriors improved significantly toward the end of Timmy Chang’s second season as Hawaii’s head coach, finishing 5-8.
“I really felt like I had more to give,” said Reinebold, who coached with Hamilton of the CFL for the fourth time in his career last year. “Especially when it’s here. I’ve been to a lot of different places, but this one is special to me. It’s always been special to me. And when you watch how hard it was and what a tremendous job Timmy and all of his (assistant coaches) did to take it off its knees and bring life into it.
Reinebold knows that for UH to reach the next level, the defense must bring more to the party. The Warriors allowed 5,009 yards and 50 rushing and passing touchdowns while coming up with just 11 turnovers during last year’s 13-game season.
Sekona transferred to UH after appearing in 16 games in three seasons for USC. Most of his playing time was before the Trojans’ coaching change prior to the 2022 season.
He did a presentation on Noga, who was honored in 1986 as UH’s first, and still only, Associated Press first-team All-American.
Evaimalo did his assignment on Tanuvasa, who starred on the UH team that won the Holiday Bowl in 1992, and as a pro started for the Denver Broncos in the 1997 and 1998 Super Bowl wins. He led the Broncos in sacks in 1998 and 1999.
“I think his vertical knockback set him apart,” Evaimalo said. “His hands. I trained with Ma‘a and he always harped on hands.
“I talked about his demeanor. He was always chill because he knew what he had to do and he had the confidence to get it done.”