HONOLULU – Honolulu football coach Willie Talamoa bought his players cleats, drove them to practice and often stayed late to talk with those having trouble in school.
For Talamoa, his actions weren’t just about football. They were about helping the young people in the hardscrabble neighborhood of Kalihi where he grew up get the attention they deserved. “His philosophy was, the more kids that are at practice with us, the less kids that are out on the streets of Kalihi,” said fellow coach Kinohi Aki, who grew up with Talamoa in Kalihi’s public housing developments.