University of Hawaii's 350 lb Running Back - Legit (not a joke)

CajunCrimson

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http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/8951167/reilly-big-hawaiian-running-back-david-fangupo

I, and almost a million other people, can't stop watching this clip of Fangupo this season at Kealakehe (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) High School. We're transfixed by a man that big with 4.9 speed, the equivalent of a four-wheel drive vending machine on roller skates.

We're glued to how he churns ahead with four or five tacklers clinging to him, like remora on a whale. We're astonished by his twinkle toes, like watching a hippo dance an arabesque.

It's a giggle, really, to see a man that big running that fast over that many human beings. You watch the video. Fangupo is pulling away from people who could fit in one of his pant legs.

"When I first started, I didn't want to hurt anybody," says Fangupo, who just turned 18 and didn't play at fullback until his senior season. "But then I just decided it was me or them."

Most of the time, it was them.

In a playoff game this season, one poor safety found himself face-to-face with the full Fangupo and wound up flatter than a pupu platter.

"Afterward, he came up to me and said, 'Dude, why you got to make me look bad in front of my family?'" Fangupo remembers. "But I told him, 'You shouldn't feel bad, brah.'"
 

KrimsonNinja

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:eek: That kid is insane. I've seen his highlights on Youtube, but I forgot how to post videos here. His video is really easy to find though.
 

bamaga

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I am sorry, but I wasn't that impressed. Now if he was moved to Dtackle he might be a talent.
 

Relayer

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Based on that video, I'm not that impressed with his RB skills, either. But, if you're hard up for a back, or badly need a huge goal line option at RB, he might be your man.
 

uafan4life

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:eek: That kid is insane. I've seen his highlights on Youtube, but I forgot how to post videos here. His video is really easy to find though.

Step 1: Go to YouTube page with the video you want to share.
Step 2: Highlight the web address in your web browser's address bar and copy the address (Right-Click | Copy, Ctrl + C, or Ctrl + Ins).
Step 3: In your post on the Tidefans.com Message Board, click the "Insert Video" button in the post editor toolbar to bring up the "Insert Video Clip" dialog box and paste the address (Right-Click | Paste, Ctrl + V, or Shift + Ins) into the "Enter your video clip URL below" text box. This will embed the video in the post.
--- OR ---
Simply paste the address into the body of your post. This will, at least, create a link in the post that people can click on to visit the video page or, if you're lucky, sometimes it will recognize the link to a video page and embed it for you.

Easy peasy. ;)


:biggrin2:
 

uafan4life

Hall of Fame
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That is not 4.9 speed.

He's moving a lot faster than he looks. Count how long it takes him to get 30 yards or so downfield on a couple of these runs. He very well may - on a track and/or even grass without pads - be capable of a running 4.9 40-Yard Dash. He'd probably average 5.2 to 5.5 if he had to run 5 of them over a short period of time but he's got some pretty good acceleration and top-end speed for a 350+ pound guy!



EDIT:
Actually, in all three of those runs, he was over 30 yards past the line of scrimmage in less than 6 seconds from when he took the hand-off 5 yards yards behind the line of scrimmage - even while "dodging" or running over defenders.

He may not look like he's going that fast but he's covering ground in a pretty decent hurry.

And, at 350+ pounds, that's a whole lot of kinetic energy to try and stop. As a fullback that carries the football, he might be just about as automatic a first down as it gets on 3rd or 4th and two yards or less.
 
Last edited:

TheRealPokeChop

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Jul 7, 2010
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Level of competition in Hawaii High School football is not very high, so an athletic big man should be able to do what he wants but they guy won't make it as at RB in college. However at DT or NT he could be a monster.
 

gmart74

Hall of Fame
Oct 9, 2005
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EDIT:
Actually, in all three of those runs, he was over 30 yards past the line of scrimmage in less than 6 seconds from when he took the hand-off 5 yards yards behind the line of scrimmage - even while "dodging" or running over defenders.
30 yds in 6 secs corresponds to an 8 sec 40yd dash. Not fast. Even if you give him 2 secs for weaving with pads, that is still a 6 sec 40. Not fast. However I do agree- if he is running at me, im diving for the ground and hope he trips over me or falls down from laughing. That is a tremendous amount of inertia to stop.
 

CajunCrimson

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You guys can take an interesting story and squeeze every ounce of life in it -- geez.....

Killjoy Central -- no one is suggesting we sign him -- it's just a cool story --
 

TiderJack

Hall of Fame
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I'll take any of our last 3 RBs over him any day.
Really and Duh! I just thought it was pretty incredible that a 350 lb guy was playing RB and moving like he does. I don't foresee him winning Heisman's and being a 1st round draft pick like our last 3 RB's and he may never touch the ball in college.
 

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