Dickerson named Warriors’ most valuable player

The versatile senior helped UH go 10-3 by doing whatever the team needed him to do

For the second year in a row, Hawaii proved that the highest profile athlete isn't necessarily a football team's most valuable player.

Warriors utility man Ross Dickerson -- who wasn't even a starter on offense at times this year -- received the Alec Waterhouse Most Valuable Player award at UH's annual banquet last night at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

"I'm very surprised, I had no idea I was going to win this," Dickerson said. "It could have been a lot of people. Leonard (Peters), Mel (Purcell), Adam (Leonard), Chad Mock. Everyone on the team is an MVP. We won because we played for each other."

Last year, unsung center Derek Fa'avi was the MVP.

Dickerson, a fifth-year senior from Saint Louis School, was often overshadowed by more well-known teammates on the nation's statistically best offense. But he is clearly the team's most versatile performer.

"Of all the years I've been here, this guy represents what we are trying to do as a team," Hawaii head coach June Jones said. "He never said anything, he just worked and fought through injuries. He gave up a lot to his teammates."

Dickerson played wide receiver, slotback, kickoff returner and running back for UH this year. He has 54 catches for 726 yards and seven touchdowns, but that is just the beginning of his story.

Dickerson leads the WAC in kickoff returns and is 16th nationally with 26.2 yards per runback.

He was also extremely valuable as an injury replacement at slotback when starter Ryan Grice-Mullins went down with an ankle sprain.

Dickerson caught five touchdown passes in the four games that Grice-Mullins missed. When Grice-Mullins was ready to play again, Dickerson relinquished the starting spot, but opened UH's 68-10 victory over Idaho on Oct. 28 with a 100-yard kickoff return.

He won one of his two WAC Player of the Week special-teams awards for that performance.

On Saturday, Dickerson played running back for the first time since high school in UH's 35-32 loss to Oregon State. He started in place of hobbled Nate Ilaoa. Dickerson rushed four times for 13 yards and caught two passes for 33 yards.

Other awards were distributed last night:

Scholar-Athlete: Dane Uperesa.

Ben Yee Most Inspirational: Tala Esera.

Captain's Awards: Samson Satele (offense), Leonard Peters (defense), Mike Malala (special teams).

Warrior Club: Colt Brennan and Nate Ilaoa (offense), Ikaika Alama-Francis and Melila Purcell (defense), Timo Paepule (special teams).

Scout Team: William Brogan (offense), Ryan Perry (defense), Jayson Rego (special teams).

Warriors unranked: Hawaii (10-3) lost its two-week perch in the national polls with Saturday's loss, its first after nine wins in a row.

The Warriors were No. 24 in the Associated Press rankings and No. 23 in the USA Today coaches poll. The Warriors were the third team in voting points among those also receiving votes in both surveys.

Previously unranked Oregon State (9-4) is now No. 24 in the AP poll and tied for No. 25 in the coaches poll. Unbeaten Ohio State remains atop both.

UH can still try to match the school record for wins in a season in the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl against Arizona State. Hawaii went 11-2 in 1992.