Kealakehe High School alumni Gareth Warren is making a name for himself in mainland football.

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Kealakehe High School alumni Gareth Warren is making a name for himself in mainland football.

The 6-foot-5 guard recently finished his first season with the Houston Gamblers of the United Football League (UFL). The rookie made an instant impact as soon as he stepped on the field, and was rewarded with being named to the All-UFL team last week.

Warren and four other Gamblers were named to the team. The West Hawaii native was just one of two guards to be selected to the All-League roster.

“It kind of shocked me by surprise,” Warren said of the honor. “I was very excited to earn that.”

Despite such a strong start to his professional career, Warren had to battle some adversity. The guard has dealt with a few injuries over the last calendar year, including a training camp concussion during his stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 and an ankle injury at the beginning of the UFL season in late March — where Warren was sidelined for four weeks after undergoing surgery.

Warren explained that while it was a mental battle to fight through injury while trying to make a name for himself as a pro, he believes it ultimately made him mentally stronger.

“These guys are bigger, faster and stronger compared to college — it’s the speed of the game where you really have to adapt,” he said. “I just continued to look to God through (the injuries), and continued to put my head down and work on my craft when no one was around. I knew the work would show up when the lights came on.”

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Houston finished with a 4-6 record in 2026, with wins against Birmingham twice, Columbus and St. Louis. While the Gamblers didn’t reach their ultimate goals as a team, Warren explained that the bonds made with his teammates over their short time together will be far more valuable to look back on.

“(As a team), we blended together pretty well,” Warren said. “When you first see each other, it’s a little weird, but we soon started blending and realizing what this team could be. Our record definitely did not show what we were capable of, so hopefully we can come back and work on those things.”

While Warren is unsure if he will return to Houston for the 2027 season, he is currently spending the offseason with his wife rehabbing his ankle in Missouri. He hopes to find his next football opportunity soon.

“I think right now, my health is more important than anything,” Warren said.

But no matter how far Warren is from the Big Island, he never forgets his roots — crediting his homeland for molding him into the player and person he is today.

“The support behind me and knowing that people are back home watching me is amazing,” he said.

“It’s great to represent Hawaii out here.”

Prior to signing with the Steelers and Gamblers, Warren was a three-time All-Conference left tackle at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., from 2021-24.

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