UH WARRIOR FOOTBALL
MIKE BURLEY / MBURLEY@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii receiver Greg Salas, a backup to Jason Rivers a year ago, is the likely starter at the "X" wide receiver spot.
|
|
UH’s Salas all geared up
Greg Salas searched frantically.
It was the second half of Hawaii's tight contest with Nevada in Reno last year, and Jason Rivers, the starter at "X" receiver (left wideout) got hurt and needed to come out of the game.
Salas, Rivers' backup, was in disbelief - he couldn't find his helmet, when at last an opportunity had arisen. Hawaii was forced to call a timeout to get the harried second-year freshman in the game.
Only after the Warriors escaped with a 28-26 victory by virtue of a Dan Kelly field goal could Salas breathe a sigh of relief.
"I got yelled at and everything," said Salas, now a sophomore and the front-runner to start at X receiver. "I was pretty bummed out, I thought it might have cost us the game."
He swears to this day that one of the linemen must have knocked his helmet back onto the track around the Mackay Stadium field.
Meanwhile, during the game, backup quarterback Inoke Funaki couldn't stop laughing. He and Salas shared a bond as reserves as part of the "sideline crew," as the QB put it, and the two also connected for their first career touchdowns on a 24-yarder against Northern Colorado earlier that year.
"We would always fake-call like he was going to go in. It was like the boy who cried wolf," Funaki said with a wide grin.
Salas sighed.
"Hopefully this year I won't have to do that again," he said.
Likely not. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound receiver will likely be a major part of the Warriors' next-generation run-and-shoot attack after catching just three passes for 35 total yards in limited duty behind Rivers last year.
Salas went home to Chino, Calif., over the summer and trained with his old Chino High School quarterback, AJ Gracia, focusing on improving his speed and strength.
His coaches and teammates noticed the shift in work ethic immediately from the sometimes-passive Salas upon his return.
"I think he was a little too laid-back (last year), which is kinda his personality," offensive coordinator Ron Lee said. "I think he's beginning to understand what it's all about as far as practice, preparation.
"As far as understanding, the route-running, he's so far along," Lee added. "He's gonna have a huge year - I really feel this will be a breakout year for him."
The results have been laid bare for all to see during the Warriors' first week of fall camp in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. Salas handled a low grab in stride for a would-be touchdown on Friday, then managed extra efforts for two more possible scores Saturday.
Salas explained he's conducting his business with the mind-set that he's still playing second fiddle - even when it's apparent to everyone else that he no longer is.
"I'm still approaching it as everybody still has the same shot, which everybody does," he said. "I'm just trying to act like I'm second, still. I'm just trying to push myself. Definitely I knew I'd have an opportunity this year, and knew I'd have to work for it."
Funaki, in a battle of his own for the starting signal-caller job, brightened immediately after practice last week when asked about Salas.
In the Kahuku graduate's mind, the receiver's persona is a big part of what's allowed him to find his comfort zone in the Hawaii offense, and Hawaii itself.
"He has kind of a, I'd say, local-boy mentality," Funaki said. "That's how I kind of see him being. If I didn't know he was from California I could easily mistake him for being one of the boys from around here."
Salas agreed.
"I'm just a fun guy who likes being friendly with everybody," he said. "It doesn't surprise me much (for him to say that)."
Still, Funaki couldn't resist one final parting shot at The Helmet That Could Not Be Found.
"This year he'll have his helmet on his head, not under the bench," Funaki said.