Molokai Boy Joining Alabama’s Crimson Tide

Tayden-Evan Kaawa

By Léo Azambuja
A Molokai boy from Hoʻolehua is a living proof that dreams come true. Following a well-executed plan to become a better football player and gain exposure among scouts, he has just committed to one of the most successful and storied football programs in college history.
The University of Alabama announced in late July that 18-year-old Tayden-Evan Kaawa — a six-foot, five-inch quarterback — will be joining the Crimson Tide next season on a full scholarship. They compete in the NCAA Division I in the Southeastern Conference.
“The new coaching staff (at Alabama) is all new,” Kaawa said. “I was super close to them when they were in Washington, so it worked out well when they moved to Alabama. I still had the connections and the relationship with them.”
Alabama’s new offensive coordinator, he said, is Ryan Grubb, one of the first coaches ever to watch Kaawa play football as a freshman.
“Ever since then, our relationship went well, and it just helped me out,” Kaawa said.
Raised in Hoʻolehua Homesteads, he moved to Oahu when he was eight-years-old. Most of his family is still on Molokai, where he visits as often as he can.
“Molokai is a great place. It’s probably my favorite place in the world. I’d rather be there than anywhere else,” Kaawa said.
Whenever he is on Molokai, he said, he loves spending time with his family, going to the beach and camping.
“I miss my grandma a lot, I miss my family over there a lot,” Kaawa said.
On Oahu, he only started playing football four years ago, before that, he was into baseball.
A year ago, Kaawa left Moanalua High School on Oahu to play for Orem High School in Utah. Already looking to the future at such a young age, he thought the move would benefit a potential career in professional football.
“The opportunity was better, it’s more exposure than Hawaii,” Kaawa said of playing high-school football in Utah.
It’s easier, he said, for coaches to travel to look for high-school football players on the mainland than in Hawaii because of the distance of the Hawaiian Islands.
He also says he got a lot better playing football since he moved to the mainland than he would’ve if he had stayed in Hawaii.
Kaawa will graduate high school early, by next December, and join the Crimson Tide in January.
“It helps you better graduating early and going to college early,” he said.
Despite being from Hawaii, the transition to Utah wasn’t too difficult. The best thing, he said, people there were super friendly. The worst thing was the snow.
“I’m not a big snow person,” he said.
Ultimately, he wants to play professional football in the NFL, preferably for the Los Angeles Chargers, his team. Beyond that, he wants to work with sports management or in the criminal justice field.
To the Molokai keiki and ‘opio, he has a message.
“Focus on your dreams. No matter where you come from, you can achieve your dreams,” Kaawa said.