On Tuesday, Bubba Akana unexpectedly created another memory.
Akana, a St. Francis three-sport athlete, was looking forward to the 6:05 a.m. letter-of-intent signing with his parents, grandparents and siblings nearby in the Hawaii Convention Center. Hosted by Education 1st, the event drew 69 signees.
Akana was with his family on Tuesday night. His father, Kip, is also his football and baseball coach.
“My dad said, ‘Bub, I’ve been waiting since you were 5 for this day.’ To hear him say that was overwhelming. I didn’t want to let my emotions out, but it was a tear-jerker,” said Akana, who signed with Hawaii to play baseball.
Akana played quarterback for the Saints’ football team and forward for the basketball team. He may put hoops on hiatus to train more for baseball, where he plays shortstop for the ILH Division II title contenders. During his time, the Saints rose from a fledgling program to a D-II powerhouse.
“St. Francis gives a lot of opportunities. Everyone knows each other. It’s a small, compact campus, so there’s more chance to meet people,” he said. “You get more opportunity and even if you’re not super athletic, you still get a chance to play. Everyone loves it there, especially me, because it brought me so many opportunities in life.”
For the full list of student-athletes who signed letters of intent this morning, click here.
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