Of the 25 University of Hawaii players who signed national letters of intent in the spring of 1992, only seven remain. Of those seven surviving fifth-year seniors, only Doe Henderson played in the 1992 Holiday Bowl win over Illinois.
The other six stood on the sidelines at Jack Murphy Stadium as redshirt freshmen, celebrating the improbable victory, but wondering in the backs of their minds what they would do for an encore.
Under the guidance of quarterback Michael Carter, the Rainbows reeled off an 11-2 season in what is the crown jewel of the Hawaii program. It was their first top-20 finish and their second postseason parade in three years.
How times have changed.
Barring a miracle victory over Big Ten power Wisconsin, Hawaii will finish 2-10, giving the fifth-year seniors the dubious distinction of playing on the best and worst teams in school history.
"We're survivors," fifth-year back Tony Thomas said. "There's no doubt in my mind that if we had kept everybody who was a part of that recruiting class, we'd be a lot better than we are now.
"But that's how it goes. I don't have any regrets coming to Hawaii. We're a part of the only team to ever get a ring. A lot has changed since then. The transition from this year to last was difficult for a lot of guys.
"We survived," he said to Henderson, a fellow L.A. native. "It hasn't been easy on anybody going from first to worst. But I know I'll be a better man for it."
That theme was echoed by not only Thomas and Henderson, but fellow fifth-year players Glenn Freitas, Randall Okimoto, Greg Roach, Michael Petersen and Mark Hernandez, who are seven of 13 seniors scheduled to take part in the traditional senior walk.
They believe blending the sweetness of success and bitterness of defeat will result in a better approach to life.
"I'm not a survivor, I'm a soldier," said Freitas, who best epitomizes this senior class. "I learned a lot from Mike Carter at how to bounce back from adversity.
"Last spring, nobody gave me a chance to be the starting quarterback in this offense. And I proved all those people wrong. I just wish we could have been as successful this year as the first one.
"I've enjoyed being around these new coaches. They've taught me a lot about being a man and stuff. It's tough coming out here every day when you're losing like this. But that's how it is."
How it was is something Henderson prefers to remember. In 1992, former secondary coach George Lumpkin plucked Henderson out of obscurity and into the starting lineup.
That year as a cornerback, Henderson finished with two interceptions, two pass breakups and 43 tackles. He was on track to graduate last year, but a back injury allowed him a medical hardship and a chance to go out with his recruiting class.
"We're the survivors, the soldiers, the ones who stuck it out," Henderson said. "We went from good to bad. It was a learning experience, but it takes a real man to survive and stick through something like this.
"If we had all 25 guys, there's no telling what we could have done. There were a lot of those guys who could have helped us win the WAC more than once. But they didn't stay and it didn't happen.
"I'm satisfied with my career. I've got me a Holiday Bowl ring and I'm about to graduate from college. The Holiday Bowl was sweet, but my best memory is us beating Wyoming to lock it up."
Fellow seniors Carlos Shaw, Carlton Oswalt, Lesa Maiava, Paul Purdy, Ryan Green and C.B. Wentling, they weren't around for the glory days.
As the only four-year senior on the team, Oswalt didn't enroll until the fall of 1993. He had the unenviable task of having to fill the huge shoes of Jason Elam.
The sad fact is, despite making 25 field goals, he will be best remembered for the 21-yarder he missed as a freshman that cost Hawaii a chance to beat BYU in Provo, something Hawaii has never done. It's something Oswalt has learned to live with.
"You guys make a bigger deal out of that than I do," Oswalt said. "It's very difficult thinking about that miss, but that isn't my only college memory. Making my first extra point in the Middle Tennessee State game is the kick I'll remember most."
As junior college transfers, Shaw, Wentling and Purdy haven't been around as long as Oswalt, but have greatly contributed to the program this year.
Green rounds out this year's senior class. He is a transfer from the University of Pacific, who will return to his old school next semester to get his degree.
"I have no regrets finishing my football eligibility here," Green said. "It's been a great experience living here in Hawaii. I wish we could have won more games, but this is a program in transition that will only get better."
Wentling also sees a bright future. "We helped lay the foundation for bigger and better things," he said. "It's always difficult being on a team that has changed coaching staffs and philosophies. I enjoyed working in the option and West Coast offenses. We
didn't win as much as we wanted to, but sometimes, that's how things work out."
Fellow offensive linemen Petersen and Hernandez echoed those sentiments. Injuries have plagued both throughout their careers, but they still enjoyed the good, and survived the bad times.
"I remember there were eight offensive linemen in our recruiting class," Hernandez said. "Me and Mike are the last two. We were thinking the other day that we had five different offensive line coaches in five years.
"If I had to sit down and count how many coaches have come and gone since we were around, it would take a while (There have been 22). But I've enjoyed the experience."
Said Petersen, "Mark and I are the leaders in time spent in the training room. I've had operations on both shoulders and he's had operations on his knee and back. But we've got the ring. And that says something."
Okimoto believes this small snapshot will help him in the big picture of his later years. The former Farrington High standout didn't have the gaudy numbers, but just being a part of it all was enough for him.
"There were only seven of us left to help this team, but we tried," Okimoto said. "If we had all 25 of us, I think we would have been much better. But you know, things happen. It didn't work out that way.
"It's too bad we couldn't fill the pieces of the puzzle to make this team better. It's good to be able to experience the highs and the lows, and to fight through it. You've got to experience both extremes in order to be ready for the real world. And that world is just around the corner."