Best Interview
Asa Turner
Just talking to Turner makes you feel smarter. Turner is extremely detailed and thoughtful in what he says — which is why it was fitting that he go silent during the last few weeks before re-committing to Washington. But when he did finally open up, Turner was eloquent and to the point of where he’d been in the process, and what led him to finally come back to where he started.
Runner up: Fa’atui Tuitele is another guy that is so well-spoken for a young man his age, you feel like you’re speaking to a guy who’s meant for interviewing. Tuitele didn’t talk a whole lot throughout the process, but once he committed and opened up, he was a true gentlemen and very pleasant to talk to.
Funniest Moment
Puka Nacua
When the newsman in Utah said Puka Nacua and his family were having trouble getting to the studio for his announcement. The roads were very snowy, but fans had waited and anticipated this announcement for so long that it got comical down the stretch. Then, right when it was finally time, the sports anchor said, “After this commercial”. A huge, collective groan could be heard all across the Pacific Northwest.
Runner Up: The same delay when everyone tuned in to watch Cameron Williams make his announcement at a special event in a theatre. What people didn’t realize was that Williams wasn’t the only player announcing his decision that night, so the whole presentation took a long, long time. There was speaker after speaker, and the Twittersphere was becoming impatient and a barrage of silly one-liners. Afterward, Williams, himself, found it all pretty funny.
Funniest Recruit
Jacob Bandes
The highlight was when I received a visit report from Bandes as a talking emoji. I was laughing so hard I was crying. But Bandes is a jokester and he knew darn well I was going to find it unbelievably hilarious. Talking to other recruits, it was decided that he was definitely the “class clown”.
Runner up: Daniel Heimuli. I spoke to him the weekend before signing day. I said “Are you enjoying your time in Tuscaloosa?”. This was because the rumors had spread that he visited Alabama, and Heimuli said, “Yes — I’m there right now”. I was stunned, and said “Serious? You told me you weren’t taking that trip?”, and he said “I did, I’m here right now”…then crickets…He would then say, “I’m just messing with you, I’m not at Alabama.” That ws pretty typical of Heimuli.
Best Photoshoot Picture
Puka Nacua
He wins again, but the photo he took with his mother, Penina, was golden. Every young man in America who has had a great relationship with his mom can look at that and relate to the bond between a mother and son.
Runner up: The mom’s have it. Sama Pa’ama looks like Andre the Giant when he stands next to his sweet little mother.
Best Twitter User
Nathaniel Kalepo
By far, Kalepo did as much to help recruit the Class of 2019 as the coaches, themselves. He was constantly on Twitter egging on other recruits and retweeting the merits of going to Washington on other’s feeds.
Runner up: Upland, CA. receiver, Taj Davis did his part as well once he committed. He was always encouraging others to jump on board and get busy.
Best Hair
Kamren Fabiculanan
Without a doubt, Kamren Fabiculanan has amazing hair (see above). He’s taken the man-bun to another level. Is it even real? The way it’s coiffed on top of his head it is reminiscient of the Cascade hair pieces our moms wore back in the 60’s. At any rate, it’s super cool.
Runner up: Definitely Asa Turner. He has better hair than Trevor Lawrence. Hopefully, he doesn’t pull a BBK and cut it. Sometimes that hair makes a guy strong, like Samson. But, it didn’t slow down Burr-Kirven from holding the lead in tackles in 2018.
Biggest Sleeper
Corey Luciano
JC transfer, Corey Luciano. This one surprised even me. All of a sudden, he’s offered. All of sudden, he’s committed. All on Twitter and all seemingly out of nowhere. But the Husky coaches have their eyes all over the place and finding sleepers who can make a name for themselves at Washington is what they’re good at.
Best Dawg’s Dog
Dylan Morris
Dylan Morris has a beautiful Rottweiler, but when asked if he’s a German Rott or American, Morris said “I don’t have any idea what he is. I guess he’s American.” Doesn’t really matter, as long as he’s there to protect his master once Morris becomes a famous quarterback.
Runner up: My dog Biscuit. I know, I’m not a Husky recruit but he shot me a dirty look as I was writing this so he needed to be mentioned or his feelings would be hurt. Random Note: Turns out Coach Kwiatkowski and I both own mini Australian Shepherds.
Best Twitter Profile Pic
Noa Ngalu
Noa Ngalu has an extremely imposing profile pic. His gloves are up showing the W, and his background photo is very cool. These photoshoots provide great statement pictures for these recruits.
Runner up: Upland running back, Cameron Davis is seen casually adjusting his Husky baseball cap, with his arms open wide in the background, as if to say “I’m ready Husky Nation”.
