It was a recurring dream sequence.

"It was supposed to be Long Beach Poly, USC, NFL," Hawaii middle linebacker George Daily-Lyles said of his childhood goals. "We had to switch it up. It’s Long Beach Poly, Hawaii Warriors and who knows where it goes from there."

What Daily-Lyles did not know was that Southern California football membership was not measured in awards, tackle totals or an XL-sized heart.

Some name-brand schools, such as USC, were "looking at me," Daily-Lyles recalled. "I went to a couple of camps, and then the phone calls stopped when they saw my real height. I was, like, ‘OK.’ It was a life lesson right there. It’s all a business."

But the UH coaches felt Daily-Lyles — who is 5-foot-10 3/4 and 235 pounds — was worth the scholarship investment.

"Some teams saw my height, and were scared off, Daily-Lyles said. "Hawaii believed in me."

After redshirting in 2009, Daily-Lyles will be the Warriors’ starting middle linebacker in Thursday’s season opener against Southern California.

"I’m excited about that," Daily-Lyles said.

Daily-Lyles is not the typically constructed middle linebacker.

"I’m lower-heavy instead of top-heavy," he said. "I’ve got built-in leverage. I’ve got a nice center of gravity."

When it comes to football, Daily-Lyles prefers to think inside the box.

"My coach in high school told me a linebacker only needs 10 yards up, 10 yards back, and 10 yards side to side," Daily-Lyles recalled. "That’s where you need to be good. I guess I fit that part. I feel good playing in the box. I like to think, ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall.’ "

Daily-Lyles has had to fight typecasting since reporting to his first Pop Warner team. He was immediately assigned to offensive line.

"Let’s put the fat kid on the line," Daily-Lyles said, smiling.

But Daily-Lyles did not embrace the sport initially.

"I was 7," he said. "I wanted to go home and play around in the yard instead of being out there with a helmet on."

That all changed when he made his first jarring hit during a drill.

"I put somebody on his back, and that feeling was like euphoria," he said. "That first taste of blood. It’s like a shark in the water. You sniff it out, and you get it."

Born and raised in Long Beach, his high school choice was easy.

"Long Beach Poly is in my blood," he said. "My brothers went there. My cousins went there. I guess from the womb it was destined for me to go there and play football."

Daily-Lyles has made a smooth adjustment to Hawaii, a transition eased when he became friends with wideout Billy Ray Stutzmann. The Stutzmann family regard Daily-Lyles as a hanai son.

"They took me in," Daily-Lyles said. "I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. They’re like my second family. Without them, I would be a lost kid out here trying to find his way. Right now, I’ve got a family to fit in."