Mahina Apelu received a phone call from former Oregon head coach Willie Taggart on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017. Her son, Kaulana Apelu, a junior walk-on inside linebacker at the time, was going to be awarded a scholarship.
“I think I just about screamed the coach’s ear off over the phone,” Mahina said.
Three days later, Taggart stopped a practice inside Autzen Stadium and turned the team’s attention to the jumbotron. Mahina appeared on the screen and announced the good news to her son.
The surprise was a dream come true for Kaulana.
“My son was telling me that that was his goal — to be a scholarship player,” Mahina said. “He didn’t want me to pay for him to go to school. But I said, ‘No. You belong there. Something good will happen.’ And it did.
Apelu, now a senior, became one of Oregon’s starting inside linebackers. Despite repetitive injuries throughout his football career, and officially being out for the rest of the season, he’s made it a mission to leave a positive legacy on the Oregon program and help those younger than him.
“I just want to inspire others that don’t really think they can do whatever it is they want to do,” he said. “Just never giving up on your goal and your dream and just always pushing to never limit yourself.”
From fifth grade to Division-I
Apelu’s football career started in fifth grade when his mom signed him up for a local Pop Warner youth league. He continued with the sport throughout middle school and high school; his talent at running back began to take shape.
However, his dream of playing collegiate football took a hit during the first game of his junior season. Tearing his right ACL and meniscus, Apelu sat out the season to recover. But it wasn’t enough, as a year later, he repeated the injury and missed his senior year.
After graduating high school in 2015, Apelu moved 2,527 miles from Aiea, Hawaii, to Eugene to attend the University of Oregon. He was given a walk-on spot on the team’s roster, knowing not only that he would have to switch from running back to linebacker, but that he was also not guaranteed any playing time.
Apelu seized the opportunity and earned a spot on Oregon’s special teams unit and participated in all 13 games that season. The following year, he earned Academic All-Pac-12 honorable mentions and totaled 29 tackles, including 21 solo stops.
“One thing about Lana is that he plays with a lot of heart,” sophomore inside linebacker Sampson Niu said. “That’s what separates him from everybody else. He works really hard. … Obviously, Lana isn’t the biggest guy. But he’ll go out there and hit anybody, he’ll run around to the ball and just try to make plays.”
Apelu’s junior year started off on a high note. He had accomplished his goal of becoming a scholarship collegiate athlete and started in three of the team’s first five games.
But within a blink of an eye, his collegiate career began to echo his years in high school.
A season-ending injury to his fibula took Apelu out of Oregon’s game against Cal on Sept. 30, 2017, two games into Pac-12 play. And as a senior this year, he was able to play nine games until a lower-leg fracture removed him from Oregon’s matchup against UCLA on Nov. 3. Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal does expect Apelu back to play in Oregon’s bowl game in December, though.
“Man, that dude is the definition of a warrior,” junior inside linebacker Troy Dye said. “The dude comes back year after year since high school. For him to be able to just come back and still play his game, with all the injuries behind him and miles that’s on his body, it’s just crazy. You can just tell that he just loves this game. He’s a true warrior, he really fights hard.”
No matter the injury or the number of games sat out, Apelu’s impact on the team has never diminished.
“Lana serves as a great mentor. He’s almost like an extra coach,” Cristobal said. “He’s one of the many guys that are the heart and soul of our football team. His presence is necessary.”
An Aloha-spirited leader
Apelu currently attends practice with a boot on his lower left leg. He won’t play in this week’s final home game against Arizona State — which would have been his final game at Autzen. And during the game, when this year’s seniors are recognized, he’ll be honored for not just tackles, but for his constant leadership and drive to always help those younger than him.
“Lana is just a tremendous leader,” Cristobal said. “A super high-energy guy, a student of the game. He pushes his teammates and challenges his teammates. He wants it as bad as you can ever imagine. Besides the ability, [he has] just a tremendous heart. Everything he invests in, he tries to make those around him better.”
Being able to take a step back from playing has allowed Apelu to use his experience to help prepare the younger players in cases of setbacks.
“It’s always good to give my knowledge off to other people,” he said. “Like to the younger guys and kinda help them, especially if they get into the game. Everyone [has] got to be ready. It’s football, you know, anything can happen.”
Apelu has gone out of his way to make sure his replacement at inside linebacker, Niu, is ready to carry the torch.
“Lana played that big brother role, just showed me what I needed to know, made sure I was always on time for things, making sure I wasn’t messing up or anything and just making sure I was on track,” Niu said. “He’s made me more mature as a football player. He also made me take school a little bit more serious. He sees the importance of school and the importance of getting a degree.”
The two meet multiple times a week outside of practice to go over film and learn plays. Apelu has made such an impression on Niu that Niu wants to continue on Apelu’s legacy with the incoming players.
“Lana is going to leave a big legacy,” Niu said. “He’s always helping people. He helps me a lot, and not only me but other guys like Isaac [Slade-Matautia] and some of the younger freshmen. … I’m going to teach the younger guys what Lana has kinda taught me, just make sure it just cycles and keeps going down.”
Apelu traces his helpful personality to the “Aloha spirit” he absorbed while growing up on the island.
“Back in Hawaii, there is ‘Aloha spirit,’ [which is] just always wanting to be a hand to others and that’s something that is instilled in me,” Apelu said. “Just giving a pavement for younger guys is something I wish I had when I was younger, so I could make the most of my opportunities while I was here.”
But his mom, Mahina, says that’s just Apelu being Apelu.
“It’s just his attitude, his confidence, the way he carries himself and all that stuff just makes him, him,” she said. “He does it all the time. If a close friend needs help, it’s just his nature to be loving and caring and to help people with close friends, family and even our community.”
No matter the reasoning behind why Apelu leads with a helping hand, Cristobal admires the senior for his dedication in supporting the team.
“He’s an inspiration to everybody,” Cristobal said. “It’s safe to say that he fought through that injury as long as he could before he came out. He’s invaluable. I love him, I really do. He’s what you want your son to be.”
Follow Maggie Vanoni on Twitter: @maggie_vanoni
