The University of Hawai‘i football team returned to the field on Wednesday for the second week of spring training camp. For defensive tackles coach Jeff Reinebold, it has been a whirlwind few days.
Following last Friday’s practice, Reinebold traveled to New Orleans to fulfill his role as a color commentator for the European broadcast of Super Bowl 59. Despite the quick turnaround, he didn’t miss a single UH practice, marking his 18th consecutive year covering the NFL’s biggest game.
Reinebold, a former head coach in the Canadian Football League and Special Teams coordinator in NFL Europe is a well-known figure in international football circles, and continues to serve as a lead analyst for Europe’s TalkSport, Sky Sports, NFL Ireland, and NFL UK.
It should be noted that over the course of the last 15 years, Reinebold on a number of occasions has served as a correspondent for KHON2 Sports at the Super Bowl interviewing players and coaches with Hawaii ties like Jeff Ulbrich, Max Unger, and Jordan Norwood.
“Well, I think as you get a little bit older, you realize that, first of all, it’s not going to last forever. And second of all, how fortunate you are to really do this,” Reinebold said. “When you’re in that arena and you realize, there’s Tom Brady doing it for Fox, and there are all those really special guys calling the game, and you have a chance to do it—it’s a little shocking. Our broadcast went around the world. And that makes you stop and think, ‘Who’s this kid? Me? And people are actually listening.’”
Despite having no formal media training, the charismatic and colorful Reinebold brings his own energy and style to the broadcast and has built a lengthy broadcasting career that complements his extensive coaching experience.
“A lot of times, I have to pinch myself and ask, ‘How did this happen to me?’” he said. “I don’t have any special powers. I’ve never been trained in the media. But I remember when I was in elementary school, and they asked us, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up? What kind of life do you want to live?’ And I just said, ‘An interesting one.’ And it’s really turned out that way.”
Now back in the islands, Reinebold is focused on his role with the Rainbow Warriors, leading the defensive tackles unit at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, providing the soundtrack to UH’s practices—both literally and figuratively—bringing high energy and experience to the trenches.
“It doesn’t get much better than this. I love this place,” said Reinebold.
The Rainbow Warriors return several key contributors on the defensive front, including Elijah Robinson, Jamar Sekona, and Alvin Puefua. They also welcome impact transfers De’Jon Benton from USC and Luther McKoy from Minnesota, who are expected to make an immediate difference.
“These guys are working, man, and they want to be here,” Reinebold said. “We can get so much more out of guys that want to be here because they will give everything they have. We’ve seen that out of guys in the past, and this group is just like that. Those greats like Michael Lafaele and Keala Watson put in the work. It was important to them to get better every day. I see that with these guys.”
Hawai‘i will return to practice on Friday morning as spring camp continues through March 9.