Six Former South Bay Athletes Are Searching for Gold With Rainbows

Former Leuzinger High standout Zac Odom--Mark Odom’s younger brother--is in his first year at the University of Hawaii. He’s one of six South Bay athletes on the Rainbows’ football squad.

A 5-11, 165-pound cornerback, Zac Odom will very likely be redshirted this season.

But Mark Odom, who never saw his younger brother play high school ball, thinks Zac might be ready to play for Hawaii now.

“He’s pretty good,” Mark Odom said. “He can cover well and he’s real fast. He could definitely play some special teams right now, maybe even some corner. He’s going to be real good for this school for a long time.”

The younger Odom is spending his first semester in the dorms at the university’s Manoa campus. Mark Odom lives 10 minutes away, off-campus in Makiki.

He likes it that way.

“I try not to put too much pressure on Zac,” Mark Odom said. “I basically just tell him to work hard and go to class. But I want to give him room to grow up and experience some things for himself.”

Besides the Odoms, there are four other former South Bay players on Hawaii’s roster, none of whom have seen any action this year. They are:

* Erik Evans, El Segundo High, slot-back, 5-11, 180--Evans was The Times’ first team running back in 1989 and the Santa Fe League’s most valuable player. He redshirted last season.

* Don Godden, Serra High, wide receiver, 6-1, 170--Godden was a member of Serra’s Camino Real League and Southern Section Division VII championship team last season. A redshirt this year.

* Steve Johnson, Serra High, defensive back, 6-1, 201--Johnson chose Hawaii over UCLA, UNLV, Oregon State and New Mexico. A redshirt this season.

* Ken Talanoa, El Segundo High, defensive line, 6-4, 230--Talanoa was a three-sport athlete (baseball, football, basketball) at El Segundo. A redshirt this season.