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Warriors run
through drills
The team came back together
and most of it glided through
Jones' toughest test
It was role-reversal time yesterday at the first practice of Hawaii football fall camp.
>> A coach ran the dreaded 220s conditioning test along with his players.Leadership can take many different forms, some of them unorthodox.
>> A defensive tackle directed drills in the absence of his position coach.
>> Two freshman linebackers found the designed-to-intimidate 10 furlongs so easy, they said they were ready to do them again. Not tomorrow. Right now.
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"I've been training for that for the last few months. A combination of Mel's (strength and conditioning coach deLaura) program, and I've been in the senior swimming masters program at Hawaii Kai at the Oahu Club," Miano said.
Defensive tackle Lui Fuga has been around since 1999, when coach June Jones first came aboard and the team was trying to shake an 0-12 season. Now, five years and 40 wins later, Fuga -- the last player linked to the start of the Jones era -- somehow has a season of eligibility left. He began it as "Coach" Fuga, running drills in place of defensive line coach Vantz Singletary, who is finishing up an internship with the Cincinnati Bengals this week.
"Sometimes you just gotta go in harm's way and do what you gotta do," Fuga said. "I'm sure Coach would love to be here, but he's up there learning some stuff that will help us."
Freshman Khevin Peoples said he actually enjoyed running 220 yards 10 times under the duress of a stopwatch. He is either crazy or in phenomenal shape, or both. Come to think of it, those are good attributes for a linebacker.
"I love it. I want to do it again. Let's do it again," Peoples said with a huge grin.
His running mate, C.J. Allen Jones, echoed the sentiment.
"I'm a track guy, I'm in shape for it and I like it," he said.
It wasn't quite the fun run for everybody, and some players -- veterans and rookies -- didn't complete the 10 sprints despite cool and wet conditions.
"The guys got lucky today. The clouds came out and the rain came down. A lot of guys reported in shape, showed great dedication. We've got to get the other guys caught up," coach June Jones said. "By and large, this is the best shape they've reported in as a group. I'm disappointed in a few guys, seniors who didn't pay attention to what they're supposed to do. But guess what? Someone will take their job."
Senior quarterback Tim Chang was among those who did complete the task successfully.
"I was hoping there would be a little sprinkle, and someone up there was listening," the Heisman Trophy candidate said between mainland phone interviews. "All the quarterbacks made it, and that's a great sign. It shows that everyone's been out here working hard this summer. Coach deLaura did a wonderful job. I think it's the most guys who ever made it in one year."
Nearly the entire camp roster of 104 players was out stretching on the grass field a half-hour before practice started yesterday. Chang saw it as a good start for a team hoping to improve on its 9-5 record of last season.
"You like to see the excitement. The guys were really excited to be out here. It's a different feeling when all the boys come together. We all missed that and we're happy to be out here again," Chang said. "I think the identity that we want to create here is being a disciplined team. It seems the disciplined teams put themselves in a better position to win. Our main goal is to have everyone on the same page in that regard."
uhathletics.hawaii.edu