Peters hospitalized Hawaii football player Leonard Peters was hospitalized with a ruptured spleen and torn kidney suffered in practice yesterday, UH coach June Jones said.
The UH safety suffers
the team’s first major injury,
a ruptured spleen, this seasonBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com"It was a freak deal," Jones said. "He got hit in the stomach and it didn't look bad. We're lucky he went in (to a hospital) right away."
Peters, a 6-foot-1, 174-pound freshman from Kahuku, came into fall camp Saturday listed first at strong safety. Sophomore Chad Kapanui and senior Keith Bhonapha are also competing for the starting spot, and Kapanui was getting most of the first team action yesterday morning, even before Peters got hurt.
"We're rotating all those guys and we played a lot of nickel (five defensive backs)," defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. "At this point I just hope Leonard's all right."
Kapanui said he was told Peters was urinating blood and was taken to a hospital emergency room.
"It was in team (drills)," Kapanui said. "He got caught in the wrong spot."
Jones said it is possible Peters could be back in time for Hawaii's season-opening game against Easter Illinois on Aug. 31 at Aloha Stadium.
Senior linebacker Chris Brown said he hopes Peters will return and be able to play soon, but losing time during two-a-days could be costly.
"You gotta figure camp is where you learn everything. Kind of junk for him. But he's smart enough and athletic enough to be able to catch up," Brown said. "I'm bummed out. I was looking forward to playing with that guy. He gets me pumped up in the locker room, out here. He's a really good player. I hope he gets back quickly."
Peters, a true freshman last year, played in one game in 2001. He was granted an extra season due to medical hardship because of chronic knee injuries.
Kapanui moves into the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. The 6-foot, 205-pound sophomore has finally found a position to call home. He was recruited as a quarterback, was soon moved to running back and then linebacker before he was switched to safety last year. He had eight tackles (mostly on special teams) and passed for a 3-yard touchdown on a trick play in last year's victory over Fresno State.
Bhonapha is a 5-foot-9, 197-pound senior who has been a backup at safety and cornerback and excelled on special teams. He made 12 tackles last year and scored on a 38-yard return of a blocked punt against Southern Methodist.
Peters' injury is the only serious one so far in camp. But the receivers have taken a big hit with nagging ailments; Britton Komine, Nate Ilaoa, Se'e Paumele and Denny Flanagan were all out of action nursing strained or pulled hamstrings yesterday.
UH Athletics
... In 1984, senior safety Rich Miano, a former walk-on, led Hawaii in tackles for the second year in a row as the Rainbows went 7-4, winning seven straight after losing their first three. Quarterback Raphel Cherry completed his career as UH's all-time total offense leader with 5,944 yards (he is now third behind Garrett Gabriel and Michael Carter). Miano went on to a 10-year NFL career with the Jets, Eagles and Falcons.
Today, Miano is the defensive backs coach at UH.a
