University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics

Blane Gaison was a highly decorated star defensive back for the Rainbow Warrior football squad from 1976-80. In 1981, Gaison became the first UH athlete to win the prestigious Stan Bates Award as the WAC’s top male scholar-athlete. That year, he was also named Hawai‘i’s Jack Bonham Award winner. On the field, Gaison earned honorable mention All-America, all-Coast, all-WAC, Academic all-WAC and WAC Scholar-Athlete honors before enjoying a five-year NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons.