With a nose for the end zone, Boise State’s ‘defensive weapon’ can do it all
Whether it is Shane Williams-Rhodes, Jeremy McNichols or current Bronco Khalil Shakir, the Boise State offense always seems to have a versatile player who blurs the line between two positions.
But what about the defense?
Sure, there are plenty of Broncos who offer versatility, but none quite like sophomore Kekaula Kaniho.
“He’s the defensive weapon. I know we talk about that on the offensive side, but he really is,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said.
Kaniho is listed as a nickel/strongside linebacker. He often is in meetings with the cornerbacks, but usually practices with the safeties and linebackers.
“I just say ‘defensive back’ when people ask what position I am. I don’t really specify because I kind of do all those a bit,” Kaniho said. “I like it a lot, because if you’re in the same position, it can get a little stagnant, but when I get to mix it up, it keeps it refreshing.”
Kaniho was recruited as a safety, but the defensive staff wanted to find a way to get him on the field last season as a true freshman. When the matchup was right, the 5-foot-10, 193-pounder could fit just about anywhere because of his smarts and athleticism.
A Mountain West Scholar-Athlete Award winner, he had 32 tackles last season (6.5 for loss) and scored a pair of touchdowns. He has 11 tackles (one for loss) and a pass breakup this season, playing on multiple special teams units. He’s started all four games and was an honorary captain last Saturday at Wyoming.
“You know what you’re going to get from him — he’s really, really consistent,” Boise State defensive coordinator Andy Avalos said. “It doesn’t matter whatever business you’re in, you could appreciate that.”
There is also the trust that Kaniho is going to put in the kind of effort that can set an example, even for guys older than him.
“That’s my boy right there,” junior safety Kekoa Nawahine said. “He’s just a dude that works hard. There are those people you can feel a genuine desire to grow and to improve. He’s always one of those guys doing extra work and trying to bring others along with him. He motivates me to push myself as well.”
Kaniho has long been a magnetic personality and a positive influence, a guy who is hardly seen without a smile. Growing up in Hawaii on Oahu’s North Shore, his favorite memories aren’t from the beach or the field. They are from his house, where friends always congregated.
“We just had bodies all over the floor at my house on the weekends, friends sleeping over, three on the ground, two on the couch, pushing chairs together,” Kaniho said.
Kaniho always had varied sports interests, but football was where he excelled. During his senior year at Kahuku High, he scored defensive touchdowns in five consecutive games.
“When I was little, I only wanted to play baseball, then only basketball, but I never grew to be 6-3, so that was out,” Kaniho said. “For a while, I went to the beach like every day, bodyboarding, stuff like that, and then I was going bowling every weekend.”
Last year at San Diego State, Kaniho continued his propensity for finding the end zone, scoring on 34-yard fumble return. He added a 53-yard pick-six two months later in the Las Vegas Bowl against Oregon.
When he scored against the Aztecs, it was a product of film study and habit, he said. But after the game, while he was wearing the turnover belt, it reinforced the effort he puts in every week. When you’re not ideally sized for most positions, that makes a big difference.
“I was like, ‘Dang, this is crazy,’” Kaniho said. “Sometimes when you do your job, the ball just ends up in your hands.”
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH KEKAULA KANIHO
You were a Lego collector in high school; are you still doing that?
“Not anymore, but I did bring some Legos with me here and I still have them set up here in my room. I don’t have a ton of free time right now, but in the offseason, I love being in the water. It was my first summer away from home, jumped from bridges, did the rope swing into the river.”
Had you ever been in snow before you came here?
“The first time I ever saw it was on my visit in January (2017). That was the bad winter we had here, so last winter was a lot better, got me acclimated to it. I had a snowball fight when I got back after the bowl game, which was pretty awesome.”
What’s your major?
“Health science. I originally came in wanting to work in prosthetics, and it’s still something I’m interested in. The major is broad, so I can get a better idea of what I want to do — something in the medical field. I know for sure.”
How did you get into country music?
“My dad and uncle were into it, my grandpa was a paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) since he was 15, my dad grew up on Kualoa Ranch, so it stems from that. My grandma still lives by there, a bunch of movies have been shot there, the trucks drive right by all the time.”
Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?
“One horse-sized duck. That way it’s one and done. Don’t have to take on 99 more after you get the first one. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2018 at 5:06 PM.