WAIKOLOA, HAWAII » Brian Bosworth was an electric football player with a flamboyant personality and a colorful haircut to match.

The emphasis of the last sentence is on “was.”

As “The Boz,” Bosworth was a consensus All-American linebacker at Oklahoma in 1985 and ’86, but to some, he was a consensus nutcase who called attention to himself, spoke out against the NCAA and was banned from a bowl game because of a positive steroid test.

These days, instead of narcissism, the 50-year-old Bosworth has God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and he told a gathering of administrators and coaches at the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association annual conference on Wednesday that he is blessed and that “nothing else filled the void” of 24 years of anger (from 1990, when he retired from the Seattle Seahawks due to a shoulder injury, to 2013, when he was asked to read a Christian movie script and ended up taking the part and finding himself).

“Who is the Boz? It took me 47 years to understand,” he said. “I am blessed to be able to find peace and understand. I used to think it was all about me. I wanted to control all things happening to me. Ego, pride set the tone of my life.”

After telling his life story through the lens of his newfound strength, Bosworth wanted the HIADA attendees to know that what they’re doing — guiding young people — is admirable because it helps them find their way in life. He talked about how coaches and administrators in his past succeeded in challenging him to become a better person, even though he continued to have his struggles.

“(That’s how) important you are in the lives of other people,” Bosworth said. “All of those years of sacrifices, we know you didn’t do it for the glory, because if you did, this room would be empty. There is something inside of you that tells you that this is what you have been called to do. You are a bunch of guiders, mentors that love and care about athletes … and how they interact with each other and engage in normal society and (have an impact) on how they perceive themselves.”

Bosworth spoke for more than an hour and signed autographs and took pictures with the ADs and coaches afterward.

He also challenged everybody in attendance to ask themselves two questions when they wake up every morning, and, of course, the message can now easily be passed on to Hawaii’s athletes.

“Do you want to enhance the world or destroy it? Do you want to help or hurt?”