Free safety Eddie Klaneski has made a smooth transitiion from slotback to free safety this season.
Photo by Dean Sensui, Star-Bulletin
"I wouldn't mind," the University of Hawaii junior said. "If they would give me the opportunity, that would be great, because I think I can play wide receiver.
"It might help me with my interceptions because I think one reason I dropped that football against Fresno State is because I'm a little rusty at catching. If I played a little receiver, too, maybe it could help me at both positions."
Rainbows secondary coach Trent Miles smiled upon hearing Klaneski's theory, but he's not about to let him serve two masters. Even though the 5-foot-10, 176-pounder has proved to be a model student at free safety, he's not ready to play both ways as he did in high school.
"Eddie is a natural athlete, who is one of those guys who knows how to play the game," Miles said. "You could play him at offensive line, defensive line, because he just knows how to play football.
"But he ain't Deion. He's doing a good job right now. He still has a long way to go because he needs to work on catching the football.
"He's doing enough football drills every day. He just gets excited. He's not Deion Sanders by any stretch of the imagination. No two-way deals for him just yet."
That's a shame because if anybody has displayed the ability to run rampant in the open field, it's Klaneski. Against Boise State 10 days ago, Klaneski returned five punts for 70 yards.
He not only caught the football in traffic, but was able to weave through it without anyone getting a solid hit on him. As a result, he'll likely return kicks for the rest of the season.
As a sophomore slotback last year, Klaneski showed he could catch the football from Hawaii's old spread offense with a measure of consistency. He led the Rainbows in receptions in 1995 with 36 for 513 yards and one touchdown.
In his two-year offensive career with UH, Klaneski carried the football 52 times for 315 yards and one score. He also had 41 receptions for 541 yards and two touchdowns.
So why the switch to defense?
"From the very first day, I thought I was going to be a running back," Klaneski said. "I stayed out there and thought this might be OK because I played running back when I was younger.
"The very next day, (UH assistant) coach (Doug) Semones told me I should go out for defensive back, so I asked coach Miles and he said it was fine.
"It's been great since then. A lot of hard work over the summer helped it all come back because I played corner in high school. I like it more because there's plenty of action."
Perhaps too much.
Klaneski not only set the UH team record with 23 tackles against Fresno State last weekend, he also is the top tackler for the season with 52.
"But as most folks in football will tell you, you don't really want your free safety to be the leading tackler," UH defensive coordinator Don Lindsey said.
"The thing is, I'm glad he's back there because he has saved some touchdowns and a lot of long gains. He's probably our best defensive player on the team."
That's pretty heady stuff coming from a coach of Lindsey's reputation. He has coached such noteable NFL players as Derrick Thomas and Ronnie Lott.
"Coach Lindsey is the kind of man guys like to play for," Klaneski said. "He expects a lot out of you and will say something if you do something wrong.
"But he'll also be the first to congratulate you on a big play. I just wish I could have made that interception against Fresno State."
In fact, that play late in the third quarter against Fresno State is still bothering Klaneski. He's happy about setting the team record, but in his mind, if he pulls down that interception and runs it back for a touchdown, Hawaii is right back in the game.
"Our coaches are always talking to us about making plays," Klaneski said. "That was a chance for me to make a big one and I dropped it."
So far, Klaneski not only has 52 tackles, but has four pass breakups, two fumbles caused and one fumble recovery as well.
Said UH head coach Fred vonAppen: "He's one of those guys who doesn't look like much, but he can bring it. If we had more guys like him, our problems around here wouldn't be as great."