PHOTO: Offensive lineman Rustin Young (pictured above) and defensive end Kekai Burnett mark their second season of a Hawaiian presence reviving Michigan State history. The Spartans have resumed recruiting turf that was once tied to coach Duffy Daugherty.

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— Click here for review and purchase link: THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s and here for a purchase link to RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans.

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By TOM SHANAHAN

The arrival of Rustin Young and Kekai Burnett at Michigan State a year ago re-tapped Duffy Daugherty’s Hawaiian Pipeline. It’s a forgotten chapter that spanning the mid-1950s to early 1970s football lava flowed from paradise to East Lansing under Daugherty.

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NOTE: As always, my books and website focus on transformative years led by Daugherty, although his leadership has been written out of history by sloppy journalism. The national media has accepted false narratives promoting Alabama coach Bear Bryant as a leader in the 1970s — long after Daugherty’s trailblazing cleared the way.

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I wondered about the first-year progress Young, a 6-foot-4, 296-pound offensive lineman from Honolulu St. Louis, and Burnett, a 6-2, 255-pound defensive end from Honolulu Punahou, made as their second Michigan State fall camp unfolds. And what it means to the Hawaiian Pipeline’s future.

Well, I’ve determined Duffy is smiling from above.

In Sunday’s Detroit Free Press article by Chris Solari, Young was cited as one of the Spartans’ 10 promising young players positioned to make an impact.

In a Spartanmag.com story by Jim Comparoni, he posted a projected depth with Young and Burnett listed as third-team players on the rise.

In Tuesday’s Detroit News story by Connor Earegood, he quoted head coach Jonathan Smith on defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa as “the best I’ve been around” at developing linemen.

Joe Salava, a Samoan who is now Arizona’s associate head coach/defensive line while in his 18th year of college coaching, says Suiaunoa is a master at teaching techniques. In the past two decades schools have increasingly hired Samoan/Polynesian coaches to connect with a growing talent pool, but Suiaunoa, a Samoan from Oceanside, California, is Michigan State’s first Polynesian assistant.

PHOTO: Edge rusher Kekai Burnett (photo) arrived together from Hawaii.

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Previous Michigan State coaches – with exception of Muddy Waters landing Carter Kamana out of Honolulu Kamehameha in 1980 – shortsightedly allowed Duffy’s foothold on Waikiki Beach to erode and wash out to sea like a forgotten sand castle.

Two players representing Hawaii’s growing talent pool underscore Michigan State’s fumble. Oregon’s Marcus Mariotta of St. Louis won the 2014 Heisman Trophy. Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o of Punahou was the 2012 Heisman runner-up, won the Maxwell Award and swept the Lombardi and Butkus awards.

Guess who Teo’s coach was in high school? Punahou alum Kale Ane, one of Duffy’s Hawaiian Pipeline recruits. Ane was a starting center (1972-74) who went on to play six NFL seasons.

Adding insult to injury, in the 2023 season, Michigan All-Big Ten wide receiver Roman Wilson of St. Louis caught a touchdown pass in Michigan’s 49-0 win at Spartan Stadium.

I have been making the point Michigan State foolishly abandoned Hawaii in my books, RAYE OF LIGHT and THE RIGHT THING TO DO, while explaining Daugherty’s impact as a College Football Hall of Fame coach. Daugherty’s 1960s teams led college football integration – including 1965 and 1966 national titles – at the same time he tapped Hawaii’s talent.

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Purchase links: RAYE OF LIGHT, THE RIGHT THING TO DO, DUFFY’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

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Duffy’s fingerprints are still found throughout college football today, with Black athletes dominating rosters and Samoan/Polynesians permeating every level. On Page 1 of THE RIGHT THING TO DO, I quote Barry Switzer, who also was known as an integration leader with his 1973 and 1974 national championship teams at Oklahoma:

“Duffy did more for integration than any other coach in college football. He had players from all over the south. There were great Black players in the state of Texas who were passing over Oklahoma to play for Duffy. He had all those players from the Houston area. And Duffy also was the first one to recruit Samoan players.”

Oddly enough, it took a coaching staff outside Michigan State’s history to re-establish the Hawaiian Pipeline.

Young and Burnett originally committed to Smith as Oregon State’s coach. Upon Smith taking the Michigan State job, they flipped to follow Smith and the assistants who recruited them, Suiaunoa and offensive line coach Jim Michalczik.

As true freshmen, Young and Burnett made the travel squad for some games. They saw limited snaps that allowed them to retain their redshirt season. The crucial test, though, was surviving their first Midwest winter.

Young’s father, Ronald, told me his son and Burnett, who are roommates, were quick to embrace the team, their coaches, their professors and the community.

“They love it there,” Ronald said. “They feel they’re in the right place.”

PHOTO: Three Michigan State Hawaiians gathered on campus before the Prairie View A&M and Michigan State game in the 2024 season. (L-R) Kekai Burnett (Punahou), Bob Apisa (Farrington) and Rustin Young (St. Louis).

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Ronald added he was comfortable they had acclimated themselves to the Midwest when he traveled to game at Spartan Stadium in chilly November. He noticed Rustin’s concession to footwear.

Michigan State Hall of Famer Bob Apisa, college football’s first Samoan All-American player (1965 and 1966) who was recruited out of Honolulu Farrington, cautioned Young and Burnett they’ll need to start wearing shoes by winter. Hawaiians prefer to wear sandals year-round.

“I saw Rustin was wearing slippahs – that’s what Hawaiians call sandals,” Ronald said. “I asked him, ‘Weren’t you listening to Uncle Bob about cold weather?'”

He told me, ‘Yes, I was. I’m wearing socks.’”

That’s commitment.

Ronald added that the cultural transition has been aided by Burnett’s father coincidentally having a close Hawaii high school friend living near Lansing.

“They’ve been able to visit with him,” Ronald says. “It helps with the Hawaii family atmosphere.”

Suiaunoa and Michalczik continued their 2024 progress by adding to the Spartants’ Polynesian community on the 2025 roster through the transfer portal and recruiting.

PHOTO: Michigan State coach Legi Suiaunoa has gained a reputation for recruiting and developing defensive linemen.

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Anelu Lafaela is a redshirt freshman defensive end transfer from Wisconsin by way of Farrington, Apisa’s alma mater. Aisea Moa is a redshirt junior linebacker from North Ogden (Utah) Weber High by way of Brigham Young.

A 2025 recruit joining the roster from Kahuku High on Hawaii’s North Shore is linebacker Leonard Ah You. He committed to Oregon State in 2023, but he departed on a two-year Mormon mission before college. Upon his return, he flipped to Michigan State.

Leonard’s grandfather, Junior Ah You, was an Arizona State legend who played 10 seasons in the Canadian Football League. He was the CFL 1974 Defensive MVP and won two Grey Club titles with the Montreal Alouettes.

A 2026 class Polynesian recruit from a mainland high school is Fameitau Siate. The defensive end from Seattle O’Dea committed to the Spartans on June 15.

A 2026 class target in Hawaii is Farrington offensive lineman Koloi Keli (6-3, 280), one of top recruits in the state. Lafaele’s father, Michael, is Farrington’s coach.

Ronald Young said when Rustin was home, he attended some clinics with his son and picked up on some recruiting chatter.

“Rustin has been telling kids he and Kekai love Michigan State, but the (Hawaii) kids don’t know much about Michigan State,” said Ronald.

The revelation was enough to make Duffy roll over in his grave.

Hawaiians football fans adopted Michigan State as their team in Duffy’s days since the University of Hawaii program didn’t upgrade its program to Division I until 1974.

The 1966 Game of the Century matching Notre Dame at Michigan State was the first live football broadcast to the Islands. ABC-TV utilized new space-age satellite technology and capitalized on heightened interest with three Hawaiians playing for the Spartans.

In addition to Apisa, the roster included All-Big Ten kicker/punter and baseball pitcher Dick Kenney (Honolulu Iolani) and versatile quarterback/flanker Charlie Wedemeyer (Punahou).

Apisa and Wedemeyer are Polynesian Football Hall of Fame members along with another Daugherty recruit, offensive lineman Jim Nicholson (1970-72). He was recruited out of St. Louis, earned All-Big Ten honors and played six NFL seasons.

Watching the 1966 game at the time as a middle school student was Kale Ane. After Ane’s Michigan State playing days and six-year NFL career, he coached with his father Charlie Ane at Punahou and then succeeded him as head coach. Charlie played seven seasons for the Detroit Lions, including the 1953 and 1957 NFL championship seasons.

PHOTO; Michigan State’s Kale Ane of Honolulu Punahou.

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Michigan State’s abandoned identity meant Suiaunoa and Michalczik started from ground zero to reestablish a recruiting base in Hawaii, but Young’s father says he sees progress.

“From my standpoint, coach Legi and coach Michalczik are building a good reputation for Michigan State,” Ronald Young said. “They’re building a good rapport with a lot of the kids in Hawaii.”

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Tom Shanahan is an award-winning sportswriter with two books on college football integration, “RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans,” and “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s,” and a children’s book, “DUFFY’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.” Shanahan’s 2022 story on the 1962 Rose Bowl, Alabama and segregation was awarded first place for Enterprise from the Football Writers Association of America.

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I’ll put my facts on the true pioneers of college football integration versus Bear Bryant fairytales against anybody, anytime, anywhere. Watch here.

Click here for my story on the 1962 Rose Bowl and Segregation awarded first place by the Football Writers Association of America. I tell untold stories on Michigan State’s leading role and the true pioneers of college football integration. Click here to read the summary as a first-place story.

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Click here to purchase The Right Thing To Do

THE RIGHT THING TO DO

The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s

Foreword by Ruffin McNeill

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Click here to purchase Raye of Light.

RAYE OF LIGHT

Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the 1ntegration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans

Foreword by Tony Dungy

DUFFY CHILDREN’S BOOK purchase links: Order from Barnes and Noble here and Amazon here.