If there’s one person that could argue there should be more than 24 hours in a day, it’s Kaiser’s Andrew Kaufusi.
It’s hard to figure out when the Cougars senior has time to sleep. A 4.0 student in the classroom, Kaufusi, who was featured in Tuesday’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, played five positions for the Kaiser football team in the fall and is a starting fullback for the undefeated boys soccer team, which plays Campbell in the quarterfinals of the OIA playoffs tonight.
When that’s done, Kaufusi says he will run track and try out for the volleyball team — a sport he has never played — simply because it’s his senior year.
“Why not?” he asked.
He also leaves Thursday for a 48-hour official visit to Azusa Pacific, where he has committed to play football next year. A Division II school in California, Kaufusi received a full ride. Had he not gotten the offer, he said he would have not played soccer this year to focus on his football training.
Why? His No. 1 goal this year was to take away the financial pressure of college for his mom and dad. As the oldest of five kids, Kaufusi didn’t want to burden his family next year with his younger brother, Sitiveni, already at Punahou and three more on their way to high school.
“It was a really big deal for me to get that full scholarship,” Kaufusi said. “I didn’t want to put that (financial) stress on my dad. I would have felt really bad if I went away to school and he still had to worry about me.”
For more on Kaufusi, check out the Star-Advertiser article, which includes the reason he didn’t begin playing football until high school.
Here are some of his favorites.
Name: Andrew Kaufusi
School: Kaiser
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 210 pounds
Sports: Football/Soccer/Track and Field/Boys Volleyball
Siblings: Two younger brothers, including Sitiveni, a sophomore running back at Punahou, and two younger sisters. Paki, the youngest who is a second-grader at Hahaione, “is going to be the future stud of the family. He has a photographic memory and is really athletic already.”
Favorite football team: Oakland Raiders
Favorite football player: Earl Thomas
Favorite soccer team: Real Madrid
Favorite soccer player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best athletic memory: Scoring a touchdown rushing, receiving and on defense in the same game against Radford in his first game back from a hamstring injury as a senior. “I couldn’t wait to get on the field,” he said. “I had butterflies.”
Favorite class: Film
Favorite food: Omelette with bacon, Portuguese sausage, spinach, onions and extra cheese. “I’m a huge food guy.”
Favorite movie: Inception
Hawaii should of offered him!!