Faced with life-changing event, Boise State’s Nawahine further appreciates his position
It is one thing to be a leader, a reliable presence on the football field, but when a truly life-threatening situation arises, that’s when true strength shows.
Boise State already trusted safety Kekoa Nawahine to be someone to lean on when things aren’t always going well. And Nawahine thought he knew how to handle adversity — but recovering after losing a game is nothing like what he and his family faced in May.
While he was training in Arizona during the offseason, his mother, Sheryl, suffered a stroke. She had the only car, so his father, Kaleo, had to call an Uber for Kekoa to get to her.
“I didn’t have time to even think about what was happening, I just had to get her to the hospital,” Nawahine said. “My phone died on the ride, we got lost. It was crazy.”
Kekoa’s older sister, Kylee, and Kaleo flew into Arizona that evening. Sheryl spent a month in Arizona until she was able to return home to Meridian.
Kekoa is the third of six Nawahine children, and he has no bigger supporters than his parents, who frequently travel to the Broncos’ road games. Even though “there have been good and bad days,” Sheryl was on hand for the Broncos’ first two road games this season, in Alabama and Oklahoma.
“It’s interesting to see the good things that can come out of a life-changing event,” Nawahine said. “My family has always been really close, but I’ve seen the whole dynamic changed in one day. She’s the strongest woman I know. I think my parents have become closer, my siblings and I have come together to help however we can.”
In his second season as a starter, Nawahine is second on the team with 17 tackles, and he forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by cornerback Tyler Horton at Troy. The Rocky Mountain High graduate had 108 tackles and three interceptions last season.
A calm, quiet style has defined Nawahine, which the Broncos have appreciated as the last line of defense.
“He has this presence that you feel on the field … he’s probably 10, 15 yards behind me, but I know he’s got my back no matter what happens,” senior defensive tackle David Moa said. “This is the nicest guy you’ve ever met in the world.
“He never shows frustration; if you need to be picked up, he’s that guy for you.”
As inspired as he is to play for the guys next to him, Nawahine is pushed even further by his tight-knit family, especially after what happened this year.
“It puts things into a new perspective for you, I guess they say it’s having your ‘why,’ and I realized it means even more to me to be able to play in front of them and provide them with opportunities to spend time together, travel together,” Nawahine said.
The physical safety might be the nicest guy in the world to those in the blue and orange, but opponents probably don’t feel that way. And Nawahine does it without talking a big game.
“Kekoa’s like the silent assassin … a good guy to have ahead of you,” said his backup, redshirt freshman Tyreque Jones.
In fact, vocalizing himself a little more is what coaches often must remind Nawahine, even though he said “it’s not uncomfortable … but there’s growth to be had.”
“That’s like my brother, sometimes the coaches get on us because we don’t talk to each other as much as we should,” junior safety DeAndre Pierce said. “But we go through so much film together and we talk about it ahead of time … we’re almost always on the same page, kind of like mind reading.”
Sophomore nickel Kekaula Kaniho said of Nawahine, “He doesn’t have to say a lot for people to respect him … everybody gets behind him, no matter what he says, even if it’s two words, like ‘let’s go.”
Safeties coach Gabe Franklin said Nawahine’s “focus on being great” is what sets him apart. And whether it is a big third down or an emergency, Nawahine’s example is why others gladly follow.
“If I don’t know what I’m doing out there, I can’t really help other people around me,” Nawahine said. “I want to be able to bring others along with me.”
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH KEKOA NAWAHINE
You’re growing out the hair this year. How’d that come up?
“I don’t even want to say it, but my little brother (Kaimana) is going to love it, he has long hair. He inspired it, he’s been growing it out since I got back from my mission. It looks cool, I was ready for something new. We’re trying to be the ‘Flow Bros.’”
If you could play any other sport, what would it be?
“I always loved basketball, played in high school. It’s fun, constant movement, requires a lot of athleticism and skill, the crowd being right there.”
What animal would you pick as a sidekick?
“A white tiger. I always thought tigers were awesome, but the white ones just look cool, they’re more rare and unique, too.”
Tyreque Jones called Jordan Happle “The Juggernaut.” Is that the best nickname on the team?
“That one had me dying. I don’t think there’s any better ones. He got on Tyreque for it a bit, but Jordan’s the kind of guy who takes it light-hearted.”
If the zombie apocalypse occurred, where would you go?
“After I grab my supplies, underneath the training room, beneath the cold tub there’s this kind of basement, just the one entrance and it’s super wide down there. This actually got brought up recently, a bunch of us were sitting in the cold tub, one of the trainers crawled in and we were like, ‘what the heck is down there?’”
This story was originally published September 28, 2018 at 4:47 PM.