At 5 feet 10 inches and 165 pounds, Roby Toma is a quick slot receiver in the Punahou High School offense and has been a favorite target of quarterback Kimo Makaula. Toma is also quick in another way; with all the success he’s enjoyed, Toma is quick to deflect any personal credit for his success on the field. The humble Hawaiian receiver places his accomplishments on the shoulders of others.
“God has blessed me so much,” said Toma. “Manti Te’o’s dad and my dad have really helped me. Uncle Brian [Te’o] has really worked hard in training me. That’s really the reason why I am where I’m at today.
“I don’t know how I did it. I never even touched the field my sophomore year. My mom and my dad just kept telling me to keep going and never stop. In my first year, I had 836 receiving yards and 992 all-purpose yards. I was named First-Team All-ILH and First-Team All-State as a wide receiver.”
At the All-Poly Camp, Toma displayed an elusive ability accompanied with speed and quickness. During one-on-one drills, cornerbacks oftentimes found it difficult to stay on the hip of Toma as he created separation through quick and precise route running.
“The coaches are great out here and they include everyone,” said Toma. “There’s no favorites and they’ve done a great job in teaching us how to be better at our position. They helped me with reading the cornerbacks and how to get off the line quicker. The coaches at the All-Poly Camp have made it a lot of fun. Maybe in ten years I’ll look back and say, ‘How did I do that?’ When you’re out on the field it’s just football, and the thing that the coaches teach you help it to be that much more fun to play because you see the success you have.”
In addition to the technical training he received from All-Poly Camp coaches, Toma also learned a valuable lesson concerning college eligibility.
“In Hawaii they stress the SAT,” Toma said. “I didn’t know anything about the ACT. We had a class [at the All-Poly Camp] that taught us about the ACT, and after we had the class I told my mom to sign me up for it. In Hawaii I was told that the SAT was the most important, but I never realized that colleges like the ACT as well. It really helped me to understand what colleges are looking at and how to prepare for it.”
Before attending the All-Poly Camp, Toma was down at BYU for its padded camp. Although he didn’t participate in the activities, Toma watched with interest and seemed to enjoy himself.
Total Blue Sports will continue to follow Toma’s recruitment and will report on any developments he may have with the Cougar program in the future.