[UH FOOTBALL]

Thompson should hear
from NCAA this month

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

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

"We'll know by the end of the month," Thompson said after yesterday'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."

Injury report

Clifton Herbert missed yesterday'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.