The Centurions: #21 Jeff Sydner

The Star-Bulletin's countdown of UH football's "Centurions", the 100 greatest players in the University of Hawaii's 100 years of football, continues with #21, slotback/returner Jeff Sydner.

Jason Kaneshiro profiles Sydner.

"I didn't like to fair catch, it defeats the purpose," Sydner said, reminiscing about his daring as a punt returner. "Who wants to go back there and waste a play by fair catching when you've got a chance to make something happen?

"Hawaii in general, the fans, everybody just wanted big things to happen. They came to those games to see big plays and big things and I felt like that's what I was there to do. I never wanted to short the fans anything."

Big plays were the specialty of the relatively diminutive Sydner in his three seasons with the Rainbow Warriors.

Sydner's elusiveness as a returner and versatility as a slotback added up to 4,137 total yards, good for third on the program's all-time list.

His 82-yard punt return against Maine in 1990 remains the second longest in UH history and he held the record for punt return yardage until Chad Owens passed him in 2004.

Sydner also talks about striking the Heisman pose vs BYU the night Ty Detmer won the Heisman. Here's the video. It's preceded by a 53-yard run from Centurion #86, Dane McArthur.