Brendyn Agbayani was
an all-state pick at St. Louis School.
Star-Bulletin

"What we're going through right now is a painful experience," head coach Fred vonAppen said after yesterday's practice.

"Not everybody is up to it. Brendyn told me that football wasn't fun anymore and that he had lost the desire to play. He wants to quit football and concentrate on his studies. We wish him well."

The sophomore never quite lived up to his glory days at St. Louis School, where he was an all-state pick and was voted Hawaii's back of the year during his senior season. He had to sit out his first year at UH because of academics, and rushed only eight times for 40 yards last season as a redshirt freshman slotback.

Agbayani moved to tailback this season and is the team's leading rusher with 70 yards on 20 carries. He never scored a touchdown at the Division I level.

"I think he's making a mistake and I told him that," running backs coach Don Dillon said. "He just lost the fire to play.

"I feel badly for him because I think he's missing out on a great experience. But I respect his decision. He was man enough to come to us with it - look us right in the eye and tell us, but I was dejected when he did it."

Agbayani, who originally wanted to go to the University of Utah, changed his mind and committed to UH in January of 1993.

He is the second top local player to leave the UH program this season. Right tackle Hauoli Wong left before fall camp and enrolled at Brigham Young University.