Craig Cofer’s name didn’t appear on the stat sheet following his first start for Hawaii.

Yet the junior’s appearance in the lineup carried considerable significance.

Hawaii’s starting offense hadn’t included a tight end in nearly 14 years and Craig Cofer hadn’t played the position in a game ever before lining up against USC on Sept. 1.

He spent most of the game at the line of scrimmage as an extra blocker and is still in pursuit of his first reception with the Warriors. But after playing just one snap as a defensive end in his first season with the Warriors, he certainly relished being on the field for 56 plays as the Warriors’ first starting tight end since the finale of the 1998 season.

"I was so hyped," Cofer said. "It was so long since I touched the field. Last year playing defense I got one snap the entire year … so I was hungry for it just to be on that field again. I forgot how much fun playing football was."

Cofer’s next opportunity to record that first catch comes Saturday when the Warriors face Lamar at Aloha Stadium in their home opener.

Cofer, who dabbled at offensive tackle in high school, was primarily a defensive lineman through junior college and hadn’t played tight end before shifting over during spring practice.

He spent his first year of college at Southern Oregon, where he redshirted. He transferred to Grossmont College and had 50 total stops in his lone season of junior-college ball.

He signed with UH as a lineman but didn’t break into the playing rotation on the defensive front.

After the program’s change in leadership, a conversation with new tight ends coach Philip Rauscher first raised the possibility of moving to offense.

"He made a remark like ‘play tight end for me.’ I didn’t know if he was serious or whatever, but it put the idea in my mind and I thought that does sound like fun," Cofer said. "I went out and ran some 7-on-7 here and there and next thing you know (offensive coordinator Tommy) Lee came over and asked me to switch."

Cofer then spent the spring adapting to the various responsibilities placed on the tight end in the pro-style offense.

"Coach (Norm) Chow says we’re expected to catch like receivers and block like linemen," Cofer said, "and we only have 50 percent of the time to work on each of those, but we’re expected to do both perfectly. It’s a hard position."

Already versed in line play, albeit from the other side, Cofer devoted much of his summer to developing his skills as a receiver.

Cofer trained with receiver Billy Ray Stutzmann and their daily schedule often included two sessions at Tactical Strength and Conditioning to work on their speed and agility.

Stutzmann also offered Cofer insights into running routes as a receiver. In return, Cofer helped Stutzmann bulk up for the more physical style of play required of the UH receivers in the new scheme.

"It was more than a full-time job," said Cofer, who also took one class in UH’s first summer session and three in the second.

Though still relatively new to the position, Cofer feels more at home on offense these days.

"I miss the feel of defense a lot, but I have way more fun playing tight end," Cofer said. "It’s a lot more rewarding."