As the Mesa High football team continues to rebuild its program and instill belief in the players, why not show them what can be accomplished.
It’s why Jackrabbits coach Kap Sikahema wanted to make this year’s Homecoming game, this week against Basha, special.
Sikahema is showcasing four former players who went on to win three national titles and a Super Bowl.
“They will be here to participate in our homecoming festivities all day Friday,” Sikahema said. “It will be a memorable day for our kids.”
Of course, he didn’t have to dig too far into his contact list for a couple of the returning players, who will be honored before the game.
His brother Via and his cousin Deuce Lutui are on the list.
Via won a national title with BYU before heading into the NFL where he was All-Pro special teams player for the Cardinals and also played for Green Bay and Philadelphia in his eight-year career.
Lutui, who is on the Mesa coaching staff, won a national title at USC in 2004 on his way to playing for the Cardinals as an offensive lineman for six of his seven years in the NFL.
Orlando McKay, who is a successful football and track coach in Tennessee, won a Rose Bowl and national title with Washington in 1991 before getting drafted by the Packers and played a few years in the Canadian Football League.
Robert Holcombe won the 1999 Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams as a fullback after setting the Illinois career rushing mark. He helped the Jackrabbits to the state title in 1992 and was an all-state selection his junior and senior seasons with Mesa.
– Jason P. Skoda is a senior writer for MyNewsMesa.com. Send Mesa-based story ideas to jskoda@mynewsmesa.com.
