"Some advice that I would give to kids that want to get recruited for football coming out of high school going into college: I'd tell them to work hard and make sure your grades are up - that's the most important thing, and it's the first thing that colleges look at. Other than your athletic ability they're going to check up with your GPA, your grades, what's up with that. Going into your senior year of high school I'd focus on that a lot, especially if you want to get recruited for football.

And then, also, heading into your freshmen year of college - the important thing is to work hard. When I was in college, the two things that I would tell myself are:

1. 'Do you want to be a hero or a zero' - and that means: do you want to take the easy way or the hard way. The hard way is to be a hero, and the easy way is to be a zero - to be a nobody. And so I'd always tell myself to be a hero: do things that are out of the ordinary, do things that are extraordinary. Let's say the team starts working out at 7:00am, I'd get there at 6:00am and get an hour extra. Because I know that if I'm doing it you've got to believe that someone else out there is doing the same thing as me. So you can never work too hard.

2. My dad used to always tell me 'winning is everything because the losers go home and cry' and you know, that's the mentality I had throughout my entire athletic career. You've got to win, and in order to win you've got to have that state of mind that if you lose it's the end. Because winners go on to be bigger, better, more successful and get recruited for football, and losers - they go home." -Jayson Rego (Running back for the University of Hawaii)

"Football's pretty big in the community where I grew up, and so I always focused on how to get recruited for college football. I didn't think that I would be able to play at a division I. I guess I always saw myself - because I saw my brothers playing at a smaller college - that I would also play at a smaller college. But, fortunately for me, the University of Hawaii and some other schools came around toward the end of my senior season.

School is definitely very important to focus on. If you don't have the academics, if you're not taking care of school right now (at the high-school level) - as much as any coach would want to recruit you, or bring you to their college, they won't be able to if you don't have the grades to be eligible. So that's always been a big priority of mine.

Something that my parents have always emphasized to me is 'School first'. Also continue to work on your skill - whatever sport it may be - as an athlete. You can be the greatest athlete in the world, but if you don't have the grades to get you into college then it's going to be an unfortunate circumstance. School is a very important part of how to get recruited for college football. Definitely take care of school as you continue to develop yourself in your sport." -Inoke Funaki (Quarterback for the University of Hawaii)

"You don't have to wait until your senior season to start the college football recruiting process and get in contact with coaches.

It will definitely help a college football player to be more vocal. If you have any questions or concerns about anything you should ask a coach. A lot of times there are players that have questions about "how to do this" or "how can I do that' and I think that coaches - at least most of them - are very willing, and want to help in any way they can with the college football recruiting process. And a lot of times they can't help you unless you ask. And most of the time they will be more than willing to help you. Whether it's with college or with football, or any other sport, or just working out, or how you can better yourself in the sport that you're playing, just have the courage to ask.

I know for me, growing up, it was difficult to talk to the coaches. It wasn't the coaches fault, it's just myself and my personality - I was afraid to ask too many questions. But it's definitely better to ask a lot of questions than to ask no questions and trying to figure out everything on your own. It's a totally different world out there, and you need other people to help you through the college football recruiting process.

Not everyone has someone that has been through the experience before that can help 'coach them up' - so if you're one of those people, don't be afraid to ask questions. It will really help you out. Ask and you shall receive." -Inoke Funaki (Quarterback for the University of Hawaii)