UH's Smith makes trip back home

The defensive back lives about 20 minutes from the field where Hawaii will practice

Just about a month ago, Hawaii defensive back Spencer Smith traveled across the country and over an ocean with the goal of heading right back where he started.

Having made the 60-player travel roster for the Warriors' season opener at Alabama, the freshman from Georgia will be on familiar ground this week as the team begins its stay in the Deep South.

UH FOOTBALL AT ALABAMA Hawaii's season opener When: Saturday, 1:05 p.m. Hawaii time TV: KFVE (Channel 5) tape delayed, 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday Radio: KKEA 1420-AM

The Warriors left Honolulu yesterday bound for Atlanta, where they'll stay for two days before continuing to Alabama for Saturday's game against the Crimson Tide.

Kickoff at storied Bryant-Denny Stadium is set for 1:05 p.m. Hawaii time.

Smith is among five freshman making their first road trips with the Warriors. He and linebacker Blaze Soares are the only true freshmen on the trip. Offensive lineman John Estes, backup quarterback Inoke Funaki, and linebacker Brashton Satele redshirted last year.

Cornerback C.J. Hawthorne and safety Jacob Patek, both junior-college transfers, are expected to start in their first Division I games this week. Cornerbacks Gerard Lewis and Myron Newberry, linebacker Amani Purcell and defensive lineman David Veikune are also slated to make their UH debuts as transfers.

"They just have to keep it all in perspective and hopefully they won't be afraid," UH coach June Jones said of the newcomers making their debuts in front of an expected crowd of about 92,000.

Smith, a backup safety who also plays on special teams, hails from Marietta, Ga., and said he lives about 20 minutes away from the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta, where the team will practice tonight and tomorrow.

The Warriors are then scheduled to bus to Birmingham, Ala., on Friday and have a walk-through at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

"A lot of people back home have been calling me, asking how I'm doing, asking if I'm coming home," said Smith, the MVP at Kell High School last year. "I told them I was and they got all excited.

"They're probably going to want to come to the practice and the game, but there's not enough tickets for them."

Despite being so close to home, Smith isn't counting on having a lot of time to catch up with family and friends.

"I'm going to be real busy getting ready for the game, it's a business trip," he said. "If I don't see them, I don't see them. If I do it'll be great, but at the same time I'm going there to play football, not to see my family."

Smith arrived in Hawaii just prior to the start of fall camp four weeks ago and picked up the system quickly enough to work his way into the rotation at free safety, where senior Leonard Peters is slated to start and will be backed up by sophomore Dane Porlas. He has also practiced with the kick coverage and return units on special teams.

"I feel like if they put me in I know what I'm doing," Smith said.

While Smith's performance over the last month convinced the coaches to include him on the trip, junior cornerback Ryan Keomaka had only a week to make his push for a roster spot, and his efforts on special teams earned him a ticket to Alabama.

"I knew I could contribute to special teams so that's what I'm going to do," Keomaka said.

"It's just a blessing to be out there, I'm thankful to be here with my teammates and actually play football," Keomaka said.

Keomaka excelled on UH's special teams units in 2004 and started four games at cornerback last season. Due to off-field issues, he did not participate in spring practice and was not among the 105 players invited to fall camp.

But he remained a regular at offseason workouts and rejoined the team when classes for the fall semester began last Monday. He was soon taking repetitions with the second-team defense and on special teams. He is listed as the backup to Hawthorne at right cornerback.

"I went to all the meetings I could. I worked out all summer. I just wanted to come back, I didn't want to take no for an answer," he said. "I just wanted to show that I really wanted to play."