[UH FOOTBALL]

Thompson should hear
from NCAA this month

At the end of this morning's 11th spring practice, Afatia Thompson broke from a huddle he hopes to belong to permanently come the fall.

It was the first workout the senior has attended this month. He is still waiting to hear from the NCAA on his petition for an extra year.

It's a long shot. He knows that. But the former Punahou School standout is hopeful the NCAA will give him back a year he lost for being a nonqualifier out of Punahou School.

"We'll know by the end of the month," Thompson said after this morning's workout at rainy Cooke Field. "They sent in all the paperwork. I just need to graduate in December and prove I'm on track to do that."

Unfortunately for Thompson, it's not quite that simple. The nonqualifier rule he is hoping his case falls under didn't exist when he joined the UH program in January of 1998. He is hoping the NCAA will grandfather in his petition.

"It's totally up to the NCAA," Thompson said. "They say it looks pretty good, but it's not like Joe Correia, who had a 90 percent chance to get his petition. I come and work out every day. I just can't practice with the team."

Jones update

UH head coach June Jones said in an interview with KFVE broadcaster Jim Leahey yesterday that he's doing better, but doesn't remember anything that happened the day of the accident.

Looking frail in the broadcast interview, Jones wanted to thank everyone for all their prayers and is hopeful he'll be back for this Sunday's scrimmage at Cooke Field.

He said he was proud of the coaches for continuing the spring practice sessions as planned. Jones felt like it gave assistant coaches Ron Lee and Dan Morrison a chance to grow with the offense.

In the interview, Jones also said it would probably be at least another month before he was back to his old self. He has lost about 20 pounds since the one car accident nearly a month ago, and is still very sore. He feels he will be at full speed by fall camp in August.

Injury report

Clifton Herbert missed this morning's practice with an ankle sprain he suffered last Saturday. He should return for Sunday's spring game.

Defensive end Travis Laboy gets back the bloodwork done on him last week. He has missed the last four practices with an illness thought originally to be the flu. Wideout Tafiti Uso iced down his shoulder at the end of practice.

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Paul Arnett, Star-Bulletin