Football and Plan B – California Golden Bears Athletics

Aidean Keanaaina was one of Cal’s most productive defensive players in recent history through the first five games of 2024.

FBOct 11, 2024 5:21 p.m. | By: Kyle McRae

Aidan Keanaaina knew from a young age that he wanted to be a soccer player, but he also had a backup

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Aidan Keanaaina He learned early on that he wanted to become a football player.

His soccer career began in second grade at Water Tower Park in his hometown of Brighton, Colorado.

“I still remember my first tackle football game like it was yesterday,” Keanaaina said. “Playing football games in this park was a big deal.”

And there was one play from his first game that always stayed with him.

“I came all the way across the field from the opposite side of the ball to chase a running back from behind and tackle him at the 2-yard line,” Keanaaina said with an ear-to-ear smile. “I can’t remember a single incident that happened in any other sport I played at that age, but that one play and that one game is still memorable. It shows my passion for football and how much fun I have playing it.” “

He also clearly remembers what his father Stacey said to him after that game.

“My dad said, ‘You’re going to be a football player,'” Keanaaina said. “He was right.”

It wasn’t long before Keanaaina was playing outside of Water Tower Park as he traveled the country with his Football University (FBU) youth team – Arizona, California, Texas.

“That really got me a lot of attention,” Keanaaina said.

He gained further notoriety through his highly productive senior season at JK Mullen High School in 2019, when he recorded eye-popping numbers including 77 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks, eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, seven quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal.

Notre Dame, a longtime national football star, and many others took notice of the rising superstar, who was ranked as the No. 30 defensive tackle (Rivals.com) in the country. After an official visit to Notre Dame, Keanaaina signed with the Fighting Irish in 2019.

Keanaaina’s journey in South Bend has been full of bumps, including injuries, coaching changes and COVID-19. Still, he persisted in becoming a key rotation player in his fourth season for a 10-3 team that beat Oregon State in the 2023 Sun Bowl. He also earned his bachelor’s degree in management consulting last December.

With a Notre Dame degree in hand and two years of eligibility left, Keanaaina decided to enter the transfer portal because he wanted to see if there was another place where he could continue his academic and athletic pursuits could continue activities.
“Cal was the perfect place for me,” Keanaaina said.

Not only was Cal perfect for Keanaaina, he was perfect for Cal.

“You could see his size, his power and his strength on film,” defensive coach said Andrew Browning said. “When he got here, everything we saw on film was quickly confirmed. But the most important thing was his level of maturity. Aidan shared during the recruitment process that training was really important. He loves playing soccer, but he also focused on being successful after soccer.

Keanaaina hopes to play at the professional level, but also knows the importance of a backup plan. The first-year Golden Bear is enrolled in Cal’s two-year master’s degree program in public health and aspires to work in hospital administration when his playing days come to an end.

Keanaaina leads all Cal defensive tackles in 2024 with 20 tackles in five games and has a chance to become the first Golden Bear defensive lineman with 50 since Luc Bequette 52 in 2019. He is also quickly becoming popular with his new teammates and become helpful.

Outside linebacker and Utah transfer Xavier Carltonwho often plays alongside Keanaaina, was one of several players who quickly formed a strong bond with the Notre Dame transfer.

“Our journeys from previous schools to Cal had some similarities,” Carlton said. “He has taught me a lot in the short time he has been here. One of the biggest things I learned from him is to stay in the present and not look forward too much.”

This may seem like strange advice coming from someone who has multiple plans for the future.

But as Keanaaina plans his future, his immediate relationships with teammates and his approach to training prove he’s paying close attention to the present.

“Every practice I focus on thinking about just two or three things and that’s it,” Keanaaina said. “Over time they add up.”

His track record is pretty impressive.