Quick, say “Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada” three times, fast!  Too tough for ya?  Okay, just say “Touchdown Middies!”

At the United States Naval Academy, there is an unlikely kid leading the football team. His parents come from the Philippines and Hawaii, which explains the name which barely fits on the back of his jersey.   At Kapolei High School he earned 4 varsity letters in track, 3 in basketball, and 2 in football, where he was also all-state and conference player of the year.  When he arrived at Annapolis in 2005, he was so good that they didn’t know what to do with him.  So he played on special teams, was a wide receiver and a backup quarterback.  He earned the starting quarterback position in the middle of last season; in just the final six games he rushed for over 500 yards and 10 touchdowns, and threw for 5 more.

The midshipmen don’t care if his name in unpronounceable, they just keep doing pushups every time he scores.  Opponents are finding the name to be a taunt:  On Wednesday night, Pitt was reading the back of his jersey all night long in a 48-45 double OT barnburner.  As for the color commentators, they’ve given up trying to pronounce it and just call him “Kaipo.”

But the name itself is the best part.  In Hawaiian it means something like, “boy that flows like the sea daily.”  (Compare that to the last great Navy quarterback, Staubach, whose German name means “dam up the stream.”)  Once you see Kaipo run the option, you’ll agree his name suits him.

Navy has games against Wake Forest and Delaware and then take on Notre Dame in South Bend.  They haven’t beaten the Irish since Staubach’s Heisman-winning season in 1963.  Navy fans hope to go with the flow.