Arizona QB Sets Bowl as His Goal : Malauulu Is Hopeful of Avoiding Injury in Senior Season

Moments after entering the game, University of Arizona quarterback George Malauulu dropped back to pass and was hammered to the turf by UCLA linebacker Arnold Ale.

Malauulu looked up and saw the face of his former Carson High teammate and distant cousin and quietly asked Ale, “What are you hitting me so hard for?”

Ale explained to Malauulu that the UCLA coaches were aware of their relationship and had told Ale to play aggressively.

On the next play, Malauulu threw a pass over Ale’s head for a completion and went on to lead Arizona to a 28-21 victory in the 1990 game, which he rates as his favorite moment in college football.

Three years of playing in the Pacific 10 Conference have taken a toll on Malauulu’s body, making him come to understand the saying, “No pain, no gain.”

Two of his seasons have come to a premature ending, one because of a torn ligament in his left knee and another due to an injury to his right shoulder. The injuries have altered Malauulu’s appearance, causing his right shoulder to protrude higher than his left shoulder.

Malauulu hopes to put the injuries behind him as he prepares for his senior season at Arizona. The Wildcats open the season Sept. 5 against Utah State at Tucson.

“Staying healthy is a key to getting (to the Rose Bowl),” Malauulu said. “You begin to get on a roll, and all of a sudden an injury happens and there goes the rest of your season.”

After sharing quarterback duties with Ronald Veal for two seasons and Charles Levy last year, Malauulu enters his senior season as the focus of the offense.

“Our offense is featured around him,” Arizona Coach Dick Tomey said. “We are trying to be more balanced. He can be elusive and run and throw the ball. We are going to take advantage of his capabilities.”

Since Malauulu’s arrival at Arizona in the fall of 1988, Tomey said the quarterback has developed from an eager freshman into a leader who works well with the team’s younger quarterbacks.

“The best way to lead is by performing, and I expect a lot (from Malauulu) from a performance standpoint this year,” Tomey said. “He’s always been a natural athlete, he has a lot of toughness and works harder at the mental approach.”

Malauulu will be working with his third offensive coordinator, Duane Akina. The two have developed a special relationship.

Akina was formerly the defensive coordinator at Arizona and worked with NFL defensive backs Chuck Cecil and Darryl Lewis, the 1990 Thorpe Award winner.

“I’ve always had close contact with him; we both have Polynesian ties so I’ve always rooted for George,” Akina said. “He’s a great guy to coach; I’ve had an opportunity to coach many great players, and they all have the same things in common. They have a lot of pride and want to be good players in a good program.”

Good program, maybe. But not great. At the top of Malauulu’s goals this season is reaching the Rose Bowl, something Arizona has never accomplished.

The closest that Malauulu and the Wildcats came to reaching a Rose Bowl was during his freshman season in 1989 when, after a slow start, Malauulu came off the bench to lead Arizona to a comeback victory at Washington State. Two weeks later, though, Malauulu’s season ended because of a knee injury suffered in a loss at California, which knocked the Wildcats out of the Rose Bowl race.

Before his injury, Malauulu had become the starter over Veal.

“We were going to put George in anyway,” Tomey said. “He has an air of confidence about him, a sparkle in his eyes.”

At Carson, Malauulu was a fan attraction not only for the numbers he put up (1,548 yards passing his senior year) but because he could throw effectively with either his left or right hand.

Arizona’s coaches have urged Malauulu to concentrate on passing with his left hand. They want him to pass with his right hand only when necessary, advice that former Carson coach Gene Vollnogle disagrees with.

“I think (Malauulu) has done OK, but I’d like to see him throw with either hand,” Vollnogle said. “He only throws about five yards further with the left hand, and I think (being ambidextrous) is a great advantage in a game. It’s also a great gimmick. I mean I’d go watch a guy that could do that.”

Vollnogle said that Carson would have Malauulu roll out to his right and throw from the right, and roll out to the left and throw to the left.

“In baseball you don’t tell a switch hitter that he should only bat one way, and I don’t see why football should be any different,” Vollnogle said.

Malauulu said he has no intention of passing with his right hand in a game this season. He will only do it if the situation warrants it.

Vollnogle said Malauulu started the tradition of Carson High quarterbacks going on to

play college football. The list includes Fred Gatlin (Nevada), Perry Klein (California), Armin Youngblood (Fresno State) and John Walsh (Brigham Young). Eventually Malauulu would like to do some sort of sports administrative work, possibly as an athletic director, where he could try to fix some of the problems he sees in college athletics.

“Athletes should be able to go out and earn money on their own time,” Malauulu said. “You don’t want to have to go home every time you run out of money.”

Whatever avenue Malauulu takes after college, his position coach knows that success will follow.

“I think George is really a mature guy,” Akina said. “He relates well with people and he will be successful in whatever he chooses to do.”