Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 4, 1 Mei 1984 — Freitas Tackles New Role as Assistant AD at Manoa [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Freitas Tackles New Role as Assistant AD at Manoa

Rockne (Rocky) Freitas, OHA trustee and owner of GRG Enterprises, began new fulltime duties Apr. 2 as assistant Athletic Director at the University of Hawaii. Freitas, who was a finalist for the UH athletic director's job last year, is in the second year of a four-year term as OH A trustee. The new UH assistant AD was a star prep football player at Kamehameha from where he graduated in 1963. He continued his education at Oregon State University where he also was a standout in football. After receiving his bachelor of science degree in animal science and a minor in business administration, Freitas went on to further gridiron stardom when he played proffessional football for 1 1 years as a starting offensive tackle with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. His 12th and final year of pro ball was spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unlike a number of his football eontemporaries, Freitas was a stickler for education. Duringthe between seasons of his pro career whieh stretched from 1967 through 1978, Freitas would eome home and enroll at UH to study for a master's degree in educational curriculum and instruction. He took his first course in 1974 and with the assistance and encouragement of former UH footba!l starand later eoaeh Jimmy Asato, Freitas stayed with it until finally receiving his master's degree in 1983. Asato is currently director of the UH Heahh and Physical Education Department. His next educational goal? "1 am now studying for my doctor's degree in educational administration," Freitas said.

Freitas is responsible for managing and coordinating the operation and maintenance of the entire athletic facilities. including scheduling, support service and serving as a clearing house for athletics. physical education and other recreational uses. As for his future as an OHA trustee, Freitas had this to say: "1 still have two years remaining in my term. I don't know if 1 '11 run again. I don't know at this time. We'll cross that bridge when we eome to it." Freitas is married to the former Leinaala Lundberg and they are the parents of two potential luminaries of the gridiron who may well follow in the athletic footsteps of their father. Six-year-old Makai Freitas is a kindergarten student at Punahou while his four-year-old brother, Makoa, is in pre-school at Tenrikyo.

Rockne L'reitas