Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame
Athlete 1977 - 1980
Ed Kama, class of 1981, was part of the muscle that fueled some of Linfield's best offensive teams from 1977 to 1980.
He lettered as an offensive tackle for four years, earning All-Northwest Conference honors from coaches in 1978, 1979 and 1980 and a spot on the 1980 All-NAIA first team.
He was picked on Linfield's All-Decade Team of the '70s.
"For the time, Kama was unusually fast and agile for his size," said his coach, Ad Rutschman.
The Wildcats were unbeaten in three of the four regular seasons that Kama played, winning Northwest Conference championships and advancing to NAIA playoffs in 1977, '78 and '80. The 1978 team lost by one point in the national semifinals.
With Kama and his teammates opening the holes, the 1978 Wildcats averaged 290.9 yards rushing per game, which is still the school record; ran for 33 touchdowns, third most in Linfield history, and averaged 41.5 points per game.
After graduation, Kama returned to his native Hawai'i, where he has been employed by O'ahu Transit Services for the past 23 years and is a supervisor and trainer.
He also is offensive line coach at Leilehua High School, which reached the state championship game last season, and has helped paddle outrigger canoes across the 41-mile channel between O'ahu and Moloka'i eight times in the celebrated Moloka'i Ho'e international race.
Kama met his wife, the former GloryAnn Say (also class of '81), at Linfield. They reside in Wahiawa, Hawai'i, and have five children: Cherish, 22, Kaulana, 21, Kekoa, 18, Kahokunohoaupuni, 14, and Chaslee, 12.
