Hello Goodbye

More details on Geoff Hayth's departure. It's just strange.

The coaches were stunned when Hayth decided to quit after Friday's practice, the first of training camp. The workout included the running of the 220s, in which players were required to run 10 220-yard sprints, with maximum lap times and rest breaks set according to a player's position. Hayth completed two 220-yard sprints. Eighty-two of 104 Warriors completed their assigned number of sprints.

Jones said Hayth, originally from Texas, was in Hawai'i for "24 hours."

"He got sick and went home," Jones added. "That quick. One night. I'm disappointed, but it's hard on some kids. He comes from a pretty solid mom and dad and everything. Obviously, he got homesick. It does happen."

Emphasis mine. One day? That's just amazing. Well, again, good luck to Geoff. If he ever decides to change his mind and come back, I'm sure he'd be welcomed. Probably as a walk-on though. June is currently deciding who to give his scholarship to.

Stephen Tsai has a Sunday conversation with Solomon Elimimian. He sounds like a great guy.

On turning down other schools to sign with UH:

"After my (recruiting) trip, I kept thinking about signing, but I didn't really want to follow my brother's path. I wanted to make my own path. The more I thought about it, I realized I can make my own path even if I went to Hawai'i.

"I think I made the best choice. The (UH) coaches are cool. They teach you how to play. They inspire. (Linebacker) coach Cal (Lee) is a great guy. He always has time for us. That's what I like about coach Cal.

"Hawai'i is the best place for me. I wouldn't change anything. A lot of schools wouldn't give a freshman a chance to play. The coach told me they would give me a chance. All I had to do was show them what I've got. They were honest with me."

Ferd Lewis has a profile on senior cornerback Kenny Patton as he seeks to secure his starting position.

Dave Reardon talks about the new Hawaii receivers learning the routes and reads and how head-swimmingly mind-boggling it can be.

And Kalani Simpson has a great profile of 3rd string QB and football player Inoke Funaki.

IT WAS THE final day of spring practice, the only full-contact scrimmage. The Hawaii defenders were anxious. They asked if they could hit the quarterback this time, if he was "live." It was a rhetorical question, really.

"We're never live on the quarterback," UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville says.

No, orange means untouchable in UH practice parlance. But they ask anyway, always, just to ask. Just because they wouldn't be defensive players if they didn't. It's a reflex. It's Pavlovian. They want to hit quarterbacks.

Last spring, they asked again. Of course. "Is it live on the quarterback?"

And that's when Inoke Funaki stepped forward, raised his hand.

"It is on me," he said.

It's live on him. This wasn't the coach saying this. It was the quarterback himself, stepping forward. Come hit me. Let's play some ball.

Have you ever heard of that?

Sure, Kalani Simpson is king of the ninety-word, fifty-paragraph column. But he can certainly write, and this column on Funaki is definitely one to check out.