He was born with a debilitating disease but Brian Kajiyama never lets that get in his way.

He lives his life as a role-model, following his dream of becoming a professor, championing the cause of disabled people and working with the Warrior football team.

As a graduate assistant, Brian helps build scouting reports of Warrior opponents, breaking down video and gathering information online. June Jones brought him aboard in 2007 and new coach Greg McMackin asked him to stay.

"Coach Mack has demonstrated a confidence in my abilities which has in turn made me more confident about myself," says Brian. "More confident that I can be a person that can make at least a small difference."

Cerebral Palsy took his voice and left him unable to use the left side of his body since birth. So Brian speaks by typing words onto a keyboard that's attached to his wheelchair. When he hits the "speak" button, a computer-generated voice narrates his message, word-for-word.

"There is no escaping that I am a person with a disability and I have taken on the perspective that one contribution to our community can come in the form of awareness. Football is something that everyone can relate to. From a grocery store manager to the janitor at a school."

Kajiyama has been a UH football fan since childhood. In 1999 he started attending practices. Soon he was invited to team strategy meetings, which eventually led to his current position.

In December the Warriors paid him the ultimate compliment: lobbying for the school to let him travel with the team to the Sugar Bowl.

In the office and out on the field, he's just one of the guys - laughing, smiling, joking with his peers. Take new quarterbacks' coach and close friend Nick Rolovich for example.

"He's just jealous" says Kajiyama, "'cause he says I service the defensive side of the ball more than the offensive side, so he's always like, when can I get the service of a graduate assistant?"

Football has helped him spread his message: that with support, people with disabilities can do just about anything.

"I have had the great fortune to be asked to speak at various community organizations and asked to guess lecture in classes to share my experiences of the amazing season the Hawaii Warriors had last season."

Brian rarely says no, even with so much on his plate. He's working on a Ph.D in exceptionalities from the special education department. He's served on the disability communication access board, is the president of the student council for exceptional children and works hand-in-hand with the special olympics.

Says Brian, "It provides such a great feeling to think that perhaps, just... perhaps I may have helped in some small way."

So make no mistake about it. Brian Kajiyama is a Warrior, and not just because he's part of the team. It's because of his own struggles, his own triumphs and the fact that he's fighting to make his voice heard.

For more on Brian Kajiyama, check out Tuesday's Honolulu Advertiser. We're partnering with the paper to tell you about this year's nominees. And of course, you can watch all of our reports on KGMB9.com. The winner will be announced on April 2.

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