AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Army fullback Jared Hassin and Air Force linebacker Jordan Waiwaiole meet again Saturday, but in different circumstances than three years ago when they first met.
In a strange twist of circumstances, the one-time potential teammates will be wearing different colors Saturday when Air Force plays at Army, with a lot at stake for both teams.
The winner of Saturday’s game becomes bowl-eligible. And the Falcons also would reclaim the Commander-in- Chief’s Trophy with a victory.
Hassin and Waiwaiole should see a lot of each other Saturday.
“If we don’t meet on the field, there’s a problem,” Hassin said Tuesday from West Point, N.Y. The Black Knights run an option offense, and the fullback usually comes in close contact with the opposing linebackers.
“It will be interesting to see him again,” Waiwaiole said Monday. “We’ll see each other a couple of times Saturday for sure.”
The two first met on a recruiting trip to Air Force and became buddies when they arrived in July 2007 to begin their entry basic training.
Waiwaiole stayed and is starting at inside linebacker as a junior. Hassin left Air Force shortly after classes began and now he’s the starting fullback as a sophomore at Army.
“I always wanted to go to West Point,” Hassin said as he looked back to 2007. “I knew Air Force would be a little different than Army, but I thought it would be good to see another side of things.”
Hassin also had ties to Army. His father, Donald, graduated from Army in 1971, and his sister Kelsey is a member of West Point’s class of 2010.
“I spent 7 1/2 weeks of training and in classes at Air Force,” Hassin said. “But I decided it wasn’t the right place for me.”
But leaving was difficult. He remembered meeting with Air Force coach Troy Calhoun and running backs coach Jemal Singleton as a “difficult time in my life.”
With the goodbyes said, Hassin returned home to Delafield, Wis. He sat out the 2007 school year while trying to reconnect with Army. He put together a contingency plan to attend the University of Wisconsin if he didn’t make it to West Point.
Hassin has no regrets about his decision and doesn’t look back.
“I had no idea what was going to happen when I left Air Force,” Hassin said. “But I’m happy with my decision. There’s no room for doubt.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
