Around The Islands: Sports
College Football
Kaluka Maiava:
California Dreams
With a last name like Maiava, transitioning to Hollywood's main stage is in the blood.
Kaluka Maiava is a college freshman trying to make a name for himself as linebacker for the University of Southern California. His uncle: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. His grandfather: ex-professional wrestler Neff Maiava. With genes like that, playing football under the bright lights of the Los Angeles Coliseum must not be such a big deal?
"I can't tell you what it means to be the first guy from Maui to be playing for USC," said Kaluka Maiava, the former Baldwin standout. "The feeling when I step out onto that football field, in that uniform, it's indescribable."
Playing for the two-time defending national champs is a dream for most, but for Kaluka Maiava, a football scholarship to attend USC became a reality thanks to family values and dedication.
"Although he had dreams and wishes of playing for USC, deep-down inside, I always felt that the dream was way too much to even think of," said Scott Mahoney, Kaluka's father, who had his three sons' last names legally changed to Maiava in 1999. "I underestimated the heart and determination that drives Kaluka."
The 18-year-old Trojan spent the first 7 years of his childhood living out of a pair of Matson containers. For several of those years, they had no running water or electricity. Kaluka's first shower was at a local beach park, and their family used blocks of ice to keep their food from spoiling in coolers.
"I'm glad we grew up that way, because you learn to appreciate what you do have. Wailuku is kind of like the slums in Maui, and I'm proud of where I came from," said the 6-foot, 220-pound Maiava, whose humbleness extends well beyond his years.
The fact that Mahoney, his dad, spent the first 20 years of his life not knowing his biological father, ex-professional wrestler Neff Maiava, has influenced Kaluka to build a rock-solid bond with his father. Mahoney admits that he too wishes that he had grown up a Maiava.
"Hearing my dad talk about not having his dad makes me never take things for granted. Having him in my life helped shape who I am today," said Maiava, an MIL (Maui Interscholastic League) All-Star first team selection.
Maiava's father graduated from Kamehameha High School and played professionally for the Kansas City Chiefs for three seasons. The former Chief offensive lineman knew Kaluka was destined for football when he was a junior in high school. He says, "I used to see him after practice in the dark, running extra sprints on his own; then later in the night, he would be at the gym 'til I had to force him to come home. Football always came easy for him because he set his goals higher than what any other player or coach expected of him."
In Maiava's final season in a Bear uniform, their defense was ranked number one in the state, pitching six shutouts and allowing a meager 4.6 points per game. The Bears' stingy defense, led by Maiava, outscored their opponents by a margin of 250 points in an eight-game season.
Football will not come as easily this season for the Trojan freshman, but that just means Maiava will be working that much harder to achieve greatness on the playing field and in the classroom. He said, "I'm the only Maiava boy playing sports like this, and just hearing them say that name out loud.…You work hard everyday to represent your family.… I'm not a psychic, but I do know that the education I will receive through USC is reward enough."
