 Hibajitak, Gordo the Texar here, Andrew's still not back. He's off somewhere, I don't even know anymore when he's gonna be here. He should be back next week. Anyway, grab yourself a libation, grab yourself a chair, join us again for another exciting episode of Hibajitak. We have a thematic theme today, it's football. So our guest today is Corey Rasmussen. Hey Corey, nice to see you buddy. How's it? Yeah, Corey is the former defensive lineman for the University of Hawaii football team. And he's gonna give us some secrets of some of the things that go on on the line between the lines and such. But it's great to have you on board. So thank you for being here. So we always ask our guests when they first come in. The first question is, so where did you go to school? Kamehameha. Kamehameha? Yeah. Right, Imua. So what year did you graduate from Kamehameha? 2012. 2012. And did you play football for Kamehameha? Is this a dumb question or what? No, I think I did. I think you did too. So you played football for Kamehameha. So my first question would be, so how old were you when you first got into football? First started right around three and a half, four years old, playing flag football. Playing flag football at four. Did you know then that you liked the game? Like what was the thing that motivated you to get involved in football? I think just going to practice, it was fun. And my dad was my coach, so. Yeah, so your dad helped a little bit. Oh yeah. So yeah, we have a slide. I have pictures of you somewhere. I couldn't find them, but when you were somewhat smaller than what you are now. So growing up, your dad played football for Damien? Damien, yeah. Right, what was his position? He was a linebacker. He was a linebacker, yeah. So the focus when you were three and a half, four years old, getting into this game was defense. No, I played O-line. Oh, interesting. I played an offensive line all the way through the park league. Really? So I see, I can't even recall that. So all the way through the park league, you were playing offensive line. So now, your family was very much involved in football growing up, because your brothers got involved with it as well, right? They played as well, both of them. They decided to take other approaches to their careers. But they're all sixed and changed like you. Oh yeah, they're all big. They're all big. So how did that happen? Because I know that your grandparents weren't even five feet tall, or your great-grandparents. Good deans. Good deans. Good deans. They came down the line somewhere. We should be like all the green bananas here or such. Anyway, I got a picture of you and your family who had a lot to do with you growing up in your career. So how important do you think family is in all you, not only you, but your brothers and such and having such a solid upbringing? Family is everything. I mean, they support you no matter what. So even if you mess up, they still, they're always there for you. And you can just always count on them. Yeah. Yeah, and you never got into trouble. No. Not at all. Never. No lickens, right? Oh, never. Never, right. Never. So what did you enjoy most about football in the younger, in the younger, in your earlier years? Just that it was fun. It was a game. I guess as you move up through the different levels of playing, it turns more to like a job. So when you're young playing, it's all fun and games. You're not really worried too much about the wins and losses. And as you get older, it kind of gets more and more important. But when you're young, you're just having fun out there with your friends pretty much. So do you learn a lot about teamwork and things that start early? Yeah. In the younger levels, you're basically trying to have a bunch of kids work together. And I guess it plants the seed for teamwork, which you need as you move up. And do you think bringing this forward in your career is going to help? Oh, yeah. Most definitely. Yeah. So the teamwork aspect and so on. So give me the thing you like the best and the thing you like the worst about playing football. The thing I like the best is just the camaraderie and the friends that you make. I don't think the worst is getting injured or the off season. That's about it. Yeah, the off season. Yeah, getting pounded. So over the course of your career in football, figuring it out at four, well, there's a nice picture. Look, you have a tux on. I think that was when you were. That was the high school hall of fame, the one with Mufi. OK, I have a picture with you in Mufi coming up later. So that high school hall of fame. So you were in the high school hall of fame? Yeah. You know what, I just went sidetracked on me because they had the Polynesian Bowl. Wait, that's high school. That's high school. Right. So I was going to say, wait, can you go to that? But only as an observer. So the camaraderie part, now how many of the kids now that are young adults like you, do you still see around? Oh, a lot. I mean, we all went separate ways as we got older. But when we see each other, we're always like, oh, and get us together and we'll talk forever. And you talk forever. Oh, yeah. So now your dad was your coach? Yeah, coming through the park leads. He coached me all the way to, I want to say, 7th grade? 7th grade. But he didn't coach just you? Yeah, not just me. He was his coach on the team. And but we did have a lot of private practice sessions. Oh, I'm sure. Well, you're close at hand. Oh, yeah. So and was your mom involved in the league at all? Yeah, she was the president of the Everbeesh Cardinals. So she was the president for how long? Do you think she did that? Years. Years? A long time. I don't know where they're. We all came up through that. Me and my brothers, we all came up through that program. They were there for a while. So I would have to venture to say that programs like that, whether it be the football or the baseball soccer or whatever, they're pretty good at keeping off the street. Oh, yeah. I think that's probably part of their goal. And I think it gives kids the opportunity to go do something, keep them busy. And I think by staying busy, they'll stay out of trouble. Right. And there's more to it than just out there playing the game. You've got to study this game. Oh, yeah. But I think that comes later in your career. I think when you're young, it's just about having fun. And then it's a good way for you to get tired and go to sleep and keep you out of your parents' hair. So you've got to fit your homework into all that as well. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. So I got another shot here. So this is kind of a shot that was taken of, I think it was you guys this year at the University of Hawaii. And you met a lot of good guys, right? Oh, yeah. That's a solid crew right there. Yeah. So the solid crew, tell me how it was. So you went from the public school, not public schools, from the Ever Beach leagues. And then you ended up at Command Man. And you ended up playing for Command Man. But I thought you played baseball. Yeah, I played in the offseason of football when I was young. I think I stopped playing right around my freshman year. And then the sole focus just went football. Purely onto football. So now did you know at that point in time, was there any point in time in this where you said, I'm going to focus on football and football is going to enable me to go to college? Yeah, right after I stopped playing baseball, I was kind of in a decision-making process with my parents. And we all knew that I had a brighter future, or felt that I had a brighter future in football. And I just loved the game. So I made the decision to just focus on one sport. And focus on the one sport. So you focused on the one sport. And then you saw this as a vehicle for you to be able to go to college, to university. You're not exactly the richest family in the world. So it's not like you're sitting on a boatload of money. And lo and behold, you started to get some scholarship opportunities. And you mentioned Mofi earlier. And it's just so funny that I have this picture of you when you got a scholarship from Mofi. Did he ever pay it? The answer is yes. He did. So you ended up getting a scholarship there. And then you ended up getting other scholarship offers from other universities. So what other universities started talking to you? There was multiple schools that talked to you. They sent you a bunch of mail and stuff. And then the schools that offered me were Utah, Colorado, Hawaii, UH, UW, and Arizona. Yeah, I think that's all of them. Yeah, those were the full right offers. Now, you have an interesting story about Norm Chow. Because wasn't Utah recruiting you? So give us a story about Norm Chow and how that unfolded. Coach Chow was actually the, I want to say, the OCI Utah. And so when I was getting recruited there, I was talking to him and talking to him. But I ended up going to Colorado. And when I decided to come home, he was one of the people I called. With open arms, welcome me to come back home. So how long was it after you interviewed with him? He announced that he was going to go to the University of Hawaii. Oh, I think it was in a one-month span. I went up there on my visit, committed to Colorado. And then right after that, I found out he was going away. It was kind of funny. It was kind of funny. So yeah, it's like he was there. He never said anything to you either, but the potential of coming to Hawaii. So then you went to Colorado. You got redshirted there. And then the home was calling you back. So it's time to get back home. And lo and behold, here you got Norm. Yeah, Coach Chai is a man. I still love him. Yeah. So was he recruiting you for O-line or D-line? No, I was getting recruited as a D-lineman. OK, shifting over. So it must have been nice to come back and see him. Yeah, it was. I mean, I'm just glad he gave me the opportunity to come play at home. So then when you came back, because you transferred back. I had to sit one year. You had to sit one year. And it's a big decision for you, because you're shifting your scholarship. You didn't know if you would get another one with UH, but you were willing to take the risk to come back home. Yep. I think it was just the right fit. Yeah, yeah. I think I personally think it was the right fit, too, because it worked out very, very well. So you came into that. You came into the Chau era. And when Chau was new, and you were new, and totally rebuilding, and you were left Colorado, which was doing the same, right? They were in the rebuilding station. I think after you left Colorado, or no, before you left Colorado, most of the coaches all left the. Oh, yeah, there was a switch in staff. They fired the head coach, and they brought in almost a whole new staff. So anyone that was involved in your recruitment wasn't there anymore? Yeah, nobody. Everybody was gone. So everybody was gone, and they were starting to rebuild. Even the athletic director, I think, was gone. Yep, the AD went maybe, I want to say, a few months after the head coach. Yeah. So what do you learn from that, with that kind of thing happening? It's like the entire management team in a company being let go, right? And all the workers that have been hired and brought on are now sitting wondering what's going on. How did that hit you? That's just, it was the first time for me seeing that kind of thing. But it just shows you what kind of career that is. And if you choose it, it can be rough. And a lot of coaches really love the game, and they're willing to stick that stuff out. Right. And then many of them moved on and have done well where they've gone. Oh, yeah. So it's just, it's an interesting thing. So that's a management 101 that I don't think you can get at school. No. You got it because you went to play football, but you never got that by going studying that in a class. Right. Right? Yeah. Oh, that's cool. So anyway, we're going to take a break in a minute, and we'll talk about the next generation, and then we're going to talk about between the lines. Give us some inside scoops and some of the things that happen when you actually play this game. So anyway, this is Gordo the Tech Star here with Corey Rasmussen, former defensive lineman captain of the University of Hawaii football team. And we'll be back in about a minute. Rolovitch is going to kick butt this season. In case you didn't understand me, University of Hawaii football team is going to kick butt under Rolovitch this season. So be sure to follow us on Think Tech Hawaii and Yobachi Top. I'll be at every game. And remember, aloo. I've got a new show here. You've got to tune in. Check out my topics on sensitive provocative female issues. So Tuesday mornings, 10 o'clock, don't miss it. It's going to be fun and dangerous. Aloha, this is Kaili Akina with the weekly Ehana Kako. Let's work together program on the Think Tech Hawaii broadcast network Mondays at 2 o'clock PM. Movers and shakers and great ideas. Join us. We'll see you then. Aloha. This is Gary Rasmussen who's talking about his life in football from age 3 and 1 half on up to how old are you now? Make 23 on the first one. 23. So 20 years plus you've played this game. Not too shabby. Not too shabby. So you've played it for 20 plus years. Now, what about the next generations of Rasmussen? Do you think they're going to be? First of all, explain this picture to the viewers. What is it we got going here? That's me kissing my son before our game. That's what that is. So next generation, three and a half, what do you think? You're going to be coaching him? I hope so. I don't know. Got to talk to his mom about it. But I hope I am. I mean, I look forward to it. Now that me playing is over, I look forward to watching him grow up and hopefully play. Yeah. It'd be kind of fun. It'd be kind of fun. So now we're going to talk about the game itself and some of the inside stories and things that go on within the game. But you played on that line for 20, 20 years. And now you get up through high school and you get into the college ranks. And it's pretty heavy duty when you're in the college ranks. And you played some amazing schools. I mean, think about who you played against. Ohio State, Michigan, down the line. So what are some of the things that viewers should be watching for when they watch this game at the line? Because everybody's usually looking for the pass, the quarterback, or whatever. But I think Super Bowl was a good example of how defense can really upset the card. So what kind of things should they be looking for? I think they just got to watch the mentality. If you watch those linemen, they're what, a yard and a half, a yard apart. And they're fighting out every play and just hitting each other. That's where all the action is at. People watch the widescreen cut-ups. You see all the receivers going out, DB's covering. But if you just watch in that box all the aggression and emotion going on and the fighting, that's where all the action is pretty much on a football field. Yeah, and you guys don't talk smack to each other at all, right? That's just one part of the game. I mean, the game is mental and physical. So what kind of things do you do to prepare? You've got a 300-pound lineman across from you. You were a 300-pound lineman. What things do you do to prepare to be able to handle those line persons that are across from you, linemen across from you? A lot of practice. That position, a lot of people think it's just about brute force and all that. But it's mainly technique. I mean, your coaches preach a lot, beat them with technique. And if you can become a master of your craft, then you can pretty much take on anybody. And if they're a master of their craft, it makes for a good show. Right, right. So they don't necessarily have to be all that big. No, I think the way the game is evolving now is there's a lot of speed into it. It's not just big guys hitting each other. I mean, they're big, but they can move. So I think the way the game is changing now, you'll see guys who aren't as heavy, but they're twice as fast. Right. Yeah, running those four something, 40s, and their linemen. So what about hand techniques and things like that? I would see you, or a lot of players, their fingers are all taped up. Some are taped a certain way. Yeah, again, your coaches preach that. You've got to have quick hands when you're playing. A lot of people will tape up our fingers and stuff just because they're constantly getting jammed. They're stuck in jerseys, stuck in helmets. And it's just part of the game, I guess, really. So now speaking of jerseys, and this is kind of like an untold story. I know you're going to do this. Some things happens with jerseys because you can kind of grab one and pull on it. So what kind of things would someone might do to prevent that from happening? Some people might double-side duct-tape their jerseys to their shoulder pads, but without crow. But that's, I don't know about that. I just heard about it. You just heard about it, right? So how much film do you think you watched over the course? Oh. Every day, I mean, really, it's kind of like a game with yourself, trying to figure out. It's like a game of chess. You're trying to figure out what they're doing, when they're doing it, and why. And you want to be able to know what they're doing before they even do it. And that's how you win football games now. And coaches will preach, preach, preach about watching film. And it's ours. It's ours. So have you ever maybe the way someone moves their hands? Yeah, I mean, when you're watching film, you're watching for schemes and stuff like that. But what you're really watching for is little cues that can tell you when they're going to do certain things. And that's just, it takes time, but it helps in the long run. Give an example of some of the cues that you've observed with some opponents across the line from me. There was a center we played against. And when it was a pass, his hand was up, and he would wiggle his hand. And when it was a run, it was on his knee. Just little things like that. Yeah, that's what you just, it'll help you. It'll help you. You pick that up in the film. Yeah. Right. So you watch film by yourself? Or you guys do it together, or how does that work? A little bit of both. We usually get together as a defense. And then we'll get together as a d-line. And then a lot of us older guys will watch with the younger guys. Then we'll watch with ourselves. Then we'll go home and we'll watch by ourselves. And then one-on-one of the coaches, it just all depends how much time you really want to put into it. OK, so now we're talking about commitment here. This commitment is a, that's something else, right? So now you're doing this, but you're still in school and you've still got to get your grades. Yeah, that's why when you're going into college, they'll tell you it's going to be a lot of work. They're going to be a student athlete. And they really push the student part because you never know when the career is going to end and you've got to fall back on something. Right. Well, football was the vehicle for you to get your college education. Speaking of which, you graduated already. I have a bachelor's in communications and a bachelor's in sociology. And I'm going to ask you, what was your GPA? Right around 3-3. Wait, you're a lineman. You're not supposed to be that. So 3-3, double major. And you graduated in when? December. In December. Wow. Now, you look pretty good on that shot. Who are the guys that are there with you? That's Penetrito, McConey, and Remy. That's our D-line right there, the D-line seniors. That's your D-line seniors. So where did they all go? Where are they now, do you know? Well, Kiko, he's a senior, but he got one more year. He just graduated. I think he's a VAMAR major. McConey, he's training up in Seattle for the pro day coming out. And Remy is enjoying time with his family. Now, so only Kiko's here on island. Yeah, so Kiko will have, he's going to play this season. So this will be his last year. This is going to be his last year. How does that, you mentioned how that feels? Oh, yeah. So let's talk about this last year. So last year, the first game was in Australia. Second game was in Michigan. I mean, how was that at the end of those first two games? It was an experience. I think it was good for the team in general, just to experience playing in that kind of atmosphere. And the traveling to Australia was awesome. That was cool. And I think that just, I think it set us on the right track for the year just because it showed us the caliber of players that are out there and what we need to get up to. And kind of helped us put our head on the street and get us on track for the season that we had. So you think that's the right thing to do? People say, why are we putting University Way up against teams like Michigan and Ohio State and such? But do you think that's the right thing to do? I think that all depends on how your team feels and how the coach feels. I mean, when Coach Rolo came in, the schedule was set already. We were playing Michigan. We were playing Cal. We were playing whoever. But I think, as a team, we had that mentality. We don't care who we're going to play. We're just going to go. And I think that's the good part about having a lot of these, having local kids stay here and play because a lot of us are raised in that attitude where we think we can take on anything. And that kind of blended help with the whole team because now everybody felt like they could take on anybody. And Coach Rolo was on board. And we weren't going to back down. And with Rolo on board, you went once again through another management change. So what year was this in your career now? How much time did you have left to play? I had one spring that I didn't play in because I was going through rehab and stuff. And then I had this past season. In the past season. And so you went from now Chow was the head coach. And then you shifted over to Rolovich, who you didn't know. I don't think. Did you know him at all? I knew him. I knew of him. And then he transitioned. And it was a big shift for everybody. He had all new assistant coaches and things like that. So how was Rolo? Oh, he's great. I think they're lucky to have him there. And I'm excited for the seasons to come. And shout out Coach Lange, who's the new DC. Just found that out today. Yeah, you got it here first or second. No, they're going to have a great season. And now I can say, as an alumni, I'm more than excited to watch. Well, you have family come, but you're alumni. But isn't there someone in your family who's also going to be playing for UH this year? There's my little cousin, Manu, will be playing a corner, I believe, down here. So how big is your little cousin, Manu? Maybe 5'11. He's one of those speed guys. I look forward to watching him, too. And I'm just excited. Just excited for the game and for what he's having. So we'll talk a little bit about the bowl game. Because coming up on that bowl game, we're coming up the game before the bowl game. Well, you guys were hanging by a thread there to bring this one out. Yeah, I think that was our MO this year. Cut it close to the end and win it. But a win is a win. We took it however we could. And I think that just showed that our team had a lot of fight in it. And I credit that to a lot of the seniors, all the seniors. Because all of us pretty much came through the program together. And we all tried our best to keep the team together. And we wanted to set a foundation for all these years to come. And I think the bowl game was a great way to end up. I got to ask you, you guys were down two touchdowns very fast in that first quarter. I mean, how do you pull a rabbit out of the hat on that one? Just I would say resiliency. Our offense came through and our defense, as soon as we get the ball rolling, we were usually pretty good. So as soon as it got rolling, we were. Now, what did you say to the defense or any of the defense? I mean, you're the defensive captain. You're already down 14 points, but still got a bunch of the first quarter to go. You just got to stay positive. You learn that coming through. You got to keep everybody motivated, stay positive. And people will respond. And basically, you just got to lead by example. So speaking of that message going forward. So just closing circles. This is a shot we took at the end of the bowl game. There's a lot of family members there. There's a whole bunch in that place. So nice shirts. So anyway, so now the message going forward. So a message that you would give to young adults, kids getting into the sports, whether it be baseball or football or whatever. What message would you give to them? Just stick with it. When things get hard, don't give up. Just keep going. And everything happens for a reason. And if you stay focused, keep working at it, positive things will come out of it. And I think sports is a great way to get your education no matter what it is. And it'll teach you lessons that you can't learn from any book or parenting. So it's a different experience. All right, and we're going to leave that close out on that message. And I gave you the heads up on what we do at the end of every show. So one, two, three. As remember, the end of what, I bought you talk. How are you doing?