WAIMEA – Jordon Dizon is ready to move to Boulder, Colorado. He’s got his locker picked out, he knows which dormitory he’s going to live in and he’s more than prepared to take that flight to Denver, a city he
WAIMEA – Jordon Dizon is ready to move to Boulder, Colorado.
He’s got his locker picked out, he knows which dormitory he’s going to live in and he’s more than prepared to take that flight to Denver, a city he says is perfect for him – not too big, and very clean.
All Dizon needs now is his toothbrush, a set of warm clothes, and two more years of high school education.
Still a junior at Waimea High School, Dizon understands he will be donning the Menehune blue a few more years before he can join the storied Colorado Buffaloes football program.
But following the Gary Barnett Buffalo Football Technique School, which Dizon was invited to attend from June 16-19, the sun began to shine bright over the Rockies. And to Dizon, who had the opportunity to play at Folsom Field during the camp, that majestic backdrop may have been the perfect sell.
“The college is beautiful..the entire campus is beautiful,” said Dizon, who liked how the town of Boulder revolved around the University. “Colorado is definitely a place I’d like to go to school. I had a great time over there.”
The Buffalo Football Technique School, in its fourth year under Colorado head coach Gary Barnett and its 20th overall, has become one of the best in America. The camp’s coaches are members of the Buffalo staff, who spent a majority of its three days of instruction emphasizing teaching and drilling of the fundamentals and techniques of each position – the same things the current Colorado football players are taught.
Dizon said these techniques have made a world of difference in his understanding of the game.
“They taught things I never thought I needed to learn, like how to run,” said Dizon, who is certain time will be shaved off his 40-yard-dash when he is next clocked. “They taught the little things that I think will greatly improve my skills.”
The Colorado coaches worked with Dizon, who was trained as a linebacker, on stance, key reactions, blow delivering, tackling pursuit and stunt and blitz techniques, among other things. He also received a crash course in sprint technique and weight training.
To Dizon, it wasn’t just the perfect opportunity to hone his skills, but a way to share the newfound knowledge with his Menehune teammates.
“I want to teach what I learned to my teammates so they will have the knowledge without having to pay for it,” said Dizon, who noted the camp was not cheap to attend. “I want to use it to help our team, to make us as strong as we can be for the upcoming season.”
While his experiences may help the Menehune program, which will try for a 10th consecutive KIF title in 2002, they may also help Dizon get noticed by top-notch programs all over the country.
Plenty of scouts attended the camp, looking for talented recruits like Dizon.
Although it is illegal to speak to recruits at such a young age, each player at the camp was provided an individual assessment from the Buffalo coaches, and Dizon received high praise for his performance.
The coaches told him that with his size and his quickness, there was no doubt he will have the opportunity to play for a Division 1 football program.
As a sophomore, Dizon was a KIF All Star for both football and basketball.
He broke out for a 58-yard touchdown run against the Castle Knights in the first game of the HHSAA State Football Championships. He ran for 148 yards on 23 carries and 179 yards on 16 carries against the Kauai Red Raiders, just two of the four 100-yard games Dizon amassed in the 2001 season.
He was also integral in the Menehune secondary, helping Big Blue stifle the KIF 202-14 in its 8-0 performance in the regular season. He was also named the KIF Player of the Year in basketball – he averaged 20 points per game at the HHSAA State Championships.
