BUDDIES Albert Tufono and Mike Fetters are athletes from the Iolani Class of 1983 who have both made their mark nationally. Iolani’s Tufono is
in a class of his ownFetters is a veteran major league pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Tufono was one of the top football prospects to come out of the Hawaii prep ranks in the 80s. He never played a down in the NFL, but Tufono, 32, has reached the top of a different profession.
"He's earned a national reputation for developing teen programs for at-risk youths," says Roger Watanabe of the Honolulu Parks Department. "We're lucky to have Albert. He's made a huge impact in the four months he's been here. He's done an incredible job of selling the idea that recreation can be used to help the youth in our communities."
Tufono developed programs in Seattle that were hugely successful at lowering youth crime and violence.
He was making a presentation at a conference in Fort Worth, Texas, when he and Watanabe -- who was a basketball coach at University High when Tufono was at Iolani -- recognized each other.
AS soon as he could, Watanabe offered Tufono a position here.
"The biggest reason I came back is that I'd look at those kids in Seattle and I never really saw myself," Tufono says. "Here, I look into the crowd and I see myself. I see a 12-year-old kid hanging out at the park like these guys, not knowing what would be in his future."
When he was that kid, the 1980 Prep Bowl was part of Tufono's future. It is still Iolani's only appearance in the game's history, and the only tie. A rock-solid Raiders defense -- anchored by Albert at defensive end and his brother Junior at noseguard -- held a powerful Waianae team to seven points.
"I still feel we should have won that game," Tufono said.
Although he was part of one of Iolani's most gifted athletic classes ever (other members included Fetters, Frank Lutu, Keith Spencer and Scott Laboy), Tufono knew books were as important as sacks. And a couple of injuries -- in high school and college -- reinforced that.
"When I hurt my knee my senior year, I thought I was done, but Washington took a chance on me," he says. "Then, when I got hurt again in college, I really buckled down on the books. I figured I might as well get something out of it."
He ended up with a master's degree in public administration, and the city of Seattle certainly got something in the bargain, too.
"It wasn't just throwing out basketballs for late-night leagues," says Tufono, who worked in Seattle's Parks Department for six years. "The programs encompassed cultural and educational aspects, too. You give kids access to computers so they can do their homework, and you get them in touch with their background."
Tufono is outspoken in his belief that Honolulu's Parks Department -- which has had three different directors the past eight months -- does not have all its assets in the right places. He feels more of the employees (around 1,000) and its budget (about $40 million) should be dedicated to youth programs.
"In order to have an influence, you need to attack problems at the intermediate school level," Tufono says. "Things seem to happen two years later here than on the mainland. The concepts that worked in Seattle can work here, but we need to start now."
Blunt, yes, but people in the business tell you Tufono is the real deal. Near the very top of his profession, just like his pal, Fetters.
When Tufono marries Misty Thompson (daughter of entertainers Cha and Jack "Tihati" Thompson) in January, Fetters will be his best man.
"He was a good pitcher when we were kids in Ewa Beach," Tufono says. "But I always remind him I roped him for a homer in Little League. That's one I've always got on him."
Dave Reardon is a magazine editor and freelance
writer who has covered Hawaii sports since 1977.
He can be reached via the Star-Bulletin or
by email at reardon@aloha.com.
