Even with a bye, the Hawaii football team enjoyed a productive week.

Kapolei defensive lineman Chad Lopati committed to join the Warriors, accepting a scholarship offer after drawing interest from most of the Pac-10 and several other BCS conference programs.

While Lopati played defensive end for the Hurricanes, he could end up as a linebacker in college.

“;He has all the tools to be a big-time Division I player,”; Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. “;It's rare to have a guy who's 6-2, 245 and can run a 4.6. That's a pretty potent combination right there.”;

Hernandez said Lopati had heard from most of the schools in the Pac-10 and Mountain West Conference as well as Colorado, Baylor and Michigan State.

“;He's intrigued by the mainland offers, but I think he's a Hawaii guy,”; Hernandez said. “;He loves Hawaii and this is where he wants to stay.”;

Kevin Williams, a defensive back from Los Medanos (Calif.) Junior College, also plans to sign with the Warriors.

Williams (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) said he was timed at 4.34 in a junior college combine in May and hopes to contribute both at cornerback and on offense when he joins the Warriors.

Williams is originally from St. Petersburg, Fla., and considered schools a little closer to home such as Memphis, West Virginia and South Florida.

But he began his career at City College of San Francisco, where he met up with Nick Rolovich, now Hawaii's quarterbacks coach. That familiarity weighed heavily in his decision.

“;I've known Coach Rolovich for a long time now. I've been following Hawaii and I like their program,”; Williams said. “;I'm looking forward to being out there and it's something new.”;

Former rival inspires Warriors

Vai Sikahema, an NFL veteran who bedeviled Hawaii in the 1980s while playing for Brigham Young, visited the practice field and spoke to the team after practice.

Sikahema was a teammate of UH associate head coach Rich Miano in the NFL and emphasized education in his talk to the team.

“;You have so much to give and to offer and there's so much you can do when you get your degree,”; Sikahema said in summing up his address to the Warriors. “;It changed the trajectory of my life to get a university degree.”;

Sikahema, a two-time Pro Bowl selection as a kick returner, is on Oahu on vacation and to speak at a business conference at BYUH along with fellow BYU alums Ty Detmer and Chad Lewis.

Sikahema, who recently beat Jose Canseco in a celebrity boxing match, is the sports anchor at the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia, where he played two seasons with Miano.

“;We spent most our time in the pros talking trash to each other across the locker room about the UH-BYU days,”; Sikahema said. “;He seems to remember the picks he had against (Jim) McMahon and (Robbie) Bosco and Steve Young. And, of course, I always reminded him of the scores.”;