Pro Day

UPDATE: Stephen Tsai has a new Pro Day article here, and will have updates on his blog. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Running back Regan Mauia looks like a different player. He has a buzz cut, and he trimmed down to 272 pounds.

Running back Nate Ilaoa weighed in at 255 — about 10 pounds higher than his target weight — but he ran a very fast L-drill.

The biggest surprise is Kenny Patton, who missed UH's final eight games because of a broken collarbone. Patton had the highest vertical jump (41 1/2 inches) and ran 40 yards in 4.5 seconds. After the drills, the New Orleans Saints set up a private interview.

Way to go!

Today is Hawaii's Pro Day in Carson. Stephen Tsai writes:

Alama-Francis (torn pectoral muscle), Uperesa (pulled hamstring) and Esera (stomach flu) did not participate in speed and jumping drills at the NFL combine. All three have been cleared to participate today.

"I'm ready," said Alama-Francis, whose pectoral muscle has fully healed.

Ilaoa and Peters are using the Pro Day as a make-up test. Both want to improve their times in the 40-yard dash and shuttle runs.

At Indianapolis, there were short breaks between drills.

"My feet were hurting," Ilaoa said. "I should be fresh this time."

Peters' problems could be traced to slow starts. He spent the past month working on his first-step quickness. He also lost seven pounds and weighs 210.

"We'll see what happens," Peters said.

According to the article, Ian Sample, Lawrence Wilson, Ross Dickerson, Chad Mock, and Kenny Patton will also be there. No mention of Mel Purcell or Reagan Mauia, but they should be there as well, I'm hoping. Good luck to all of them!

======

Dave Reardon writes about the official hiring of Dennis McKnight and talks about the possibility of Greg McMackin re-joining the Warriors as well.

McKnight, 47, was a graduate assistant at Manoa last year, but it was clear even before that he was overqualified for the position; McKnight had served on June Jones' UH staff in 1999 and 2000 as special teams coach and offensive line assistant.

Another veteran of Jones' charter staff will likely rejoin UH in the coming weeks. Greg McMackin, who was defensive coordinator in 1999, might fill that post again.

Jones declined comment earlier this week regarding McMackin.

Rounding out to be another great coaching staff!

======

And finally, Ferd Lewis writes what could be the best-case scenario regarding the schedule at this point in time.

The Oct. 20 or Nov. 3 football game that the University of Hawai'i finally adds could be the 13th and last — but by no means least — of the pieces of this season's schedule.

As we await a finalized schedule and the WAC TV slate begins to come into focus, that last game looms as more than just filler. It takes on a growing importance for quarterback Colt Brennan's Heisman Trophy candidacy and the Warriors' bid for a place in the national polls.

The opportunity to play an opponent of some significance in one of those two late-season slots is large in terms of the Warriors' team and individual goals. With the real possibility of two I-AA opponents on the schedule, Charleston Southern and Northern Colorado, there is a need, a crying one, really, to pick up a marquee opponent to balance things out a bit.

...

Indeed, as ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has put it, "For him (Brennan) to get a realistic shot at it (the Heisman), it will come down to who they (the Warriors) play, how many times they play on TV and can they win games."

One can certainly dream. Let's hope Ferd's dream comes true.