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The Hawaii football team answered Ruben Guzman’s call.
Guzman then answered the Warriors’ punting needs.
With that connection, Guzman, who punts left-footed, has agreed to join the Warriors for this coming season.
"Hawaii is the best fit for me," said Guzman, a sophomore at Riverside Community College.
Guzman said he is scheduled to visit Hawaii next week. After that, he promised, he will sign a National Letter of Intent.
Chris Sailer, who coordinates punting/kicking camps nationally, believed Guzman and the Warriors would be a good match. Punter Alex Dunnachie completed his UH eligibility last season.
This is a period in which the NCAA limits the contact a program can initiate with recruits. At Sailer’s urging, Guzman called UH head coach Norm Chow and special teams coordinator Chris Demarest.
"I like how Coach Chow takes special teams seriously," Guzman said. "Hawaii sounded promising to me."
Guzman said he turned down an offer from Wyoming to commit to UH.
Guzman averaged more than 42 yards per punt last season, with a best of 73 yards. He said the average hang time of his punts was 4.6 seconds.
"My leg is just fast," Guzman said. "I’m able to get hang time and distance."
The 5-foot-10 Guzman said he always loved the sport.
"I’m realistic," he said. "The only way I can be on the field is through punting."
He said he always had the leg strength. He refined his technique at punting clinics and tutorial sessions with coaches.
Guzman said he will punt between 120 and 160 times during a typical training session. Cory Alcantar is his long-snapper. They made a pact that each would earn a football scholarship. Alcantar is transferring to Eastern Washington.
"We knew if we had a chance, we could prove we could play," Guzman said. "We’re hard workers. We’re getting a chance. I’m thankful."
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