UH Football’s Kona Moore overcomes adversities

The second week of Hawaii football training camp began Tuesday morning in Manoa, bringing the Rainbow Warriors another step closer to their 2024 season kickoff.

The Rainbow Warriors will open their schedule on August 24 against Delaware State. This year’s training camp roster boasts a strong presence of homegrown talent, with 52 players listing Hawaii as their hometown, an increase of 10 since 2021.

Among this group is Saint Louis graduate Kona Moore, who has overcome significant injuries in his first two seasons.

Moore, a sophomore, dealt with a neck stinger that required him to be taken by ambulance from the practice field in 2022. That was followed by a torn ACL in his right knee in 2023. After rehabbing though both setbacks, he has fought his way back onto the field and is eager to add depth to the strong safety unit.

“It’s taught me a lot because throughout high school I didn’t have to do it. No injuries. so I didn’t really see that side. I didn’t really understand the perspective of people who are sitting on the side, they don’t get to play with their brothers. It’s taught me a lot. Now I’m just more hungry than I ever been,” said Moore.

“I’m just excited to be out there with my brothers. For the first game, I thought it was going to happen a lot sooner. But, you know, things happen, and it taught me a lot. I’m just ready to go.”

Head coach Timmy Chang expressed great pride in the determination of his sophomore defensive back. “I got chicken skin thinking about Kona. I was right there on the sideline last year when he got injured. He was starting to come along and get better, and then to have a season taken away from him and to see how he responded—we get to see what he’s doing right now in the first six days of camp. The hard work he had to put in for the months and the recovery process—that’s what I’m most proud about.”

Moore, was a 3-star prospect coming out of Saint Louis and was a Cover-2 Defensive Player of the Year finalist in his senior season. He is currently competing at safety.

“His mindset never changed. He’s special, you know, and I’m not just talking especially on the football field. He’s going to be all right in life because he can handle adversity. When things like that come up, he’ll be ready and set for life,” added Chang.