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Wade Keliikipi of Waianae High School
Wade's Story
(Fri) November 14, 2008
Ashley Guerrero (Waianae High School)
With a family
history of success in football, the 6 foot tall, 295 pound baby of the family,
Wade Keli'ikipi, tackles his way towards the future.
"I started playing football at
the age of eight for only two years. After that I became too heavy for Peewees
and Midgets so I decided to wait until I reached high school," Wade said.Wade developed a talent for football
at an early age. His two older brothers, West III and Winston, and his parents,
West Jr. and Gloria Ann, all share a passion for this sport."Wade was there since we were
playing in Pop Warner all the way through high school. The coaches don't know
him as Wade, they know him as Bubba because he was always the little guy
running around the football field when me and Winston used to play," Brother
West explained.
Just like every football player,
Wade dreams of playing in the NFL. As a defensive lineman for the team, he
spends most of his time at the Raymond Torii Field, putting in that 110 percent
needed to create the perfect kick off towards his goals.
"What the team needs is
leadership and that's what Wade brings to the team. Throughout his football
experiences, he learned how to become a leader," Defensive Line Coach
Bernard Beaver said."I expect him to carry our
success. I mean whatever he can do to better himself and make us proud. Not
only as parents, but everyone in the community as well," Mr. Keli'ikipi
states.
Tackle, after tackle, after tackle,
Wade is determined to prove that he can achieve just as much as his brothers,
or even more. College scouts battle for his attention, handing down an
opportunity.He was offered a full ride to UH
Manoa and is already getting calls from the University of Florida, University
of Washington, University of California at Berkeley and Los Angeles, Oregon
State University and Michigan State University. "I plan to sit down with my
family and agree on one that would best suit me," Wade said.
Work hard to play hard is exactly
what Wade is shooting for. To stay out of his brothers' shadows, he has his
mind set on creating his own path."I don't want to follow in my
brothers footsteps. I want to start my own path in which I will succeed,"
Wade explains."Wade is a totally a different
person. He has his own mentality for doing things his own self. If anything I'm
trying to make him be better than me. I told him, you make your own self, you
play how you want to play, you make your own path," Brother West said.
At the end of the day, the 295 pound
baby Wade Keli'ikipi, takes one step closer to his dream touchdown, a
successful future. As he slowly builds his own path, he depends on one quote to
help motivate his drive, "Dream big, for as you dream, so shall you
become."
