The "pit" is the area where injured Hawaii football players do rehabilitation exercises during practices.
For the first 10 practices of this spring training, George Daily-Lyles’ life — physically and metaphorically — was in the pit.
"You don’t feel you’re a part of the team when you’re in the pit," said Daily-Lyles, who was rehabilitating a sore back. "You feel like a spectator."
On Thursday, Daily-Lyles resumed practicing, this time at a new position. He’s playing defensive end now after spending his first four years at linebacker. It was the first time he played on the defensive front since his freshman year at Long Beach Poly High.
"I put up a good front," Daily-Lyles said, smiling.
Daily-Lyles has maintained a sunny-side-up attitude despite a scrambled situation. He opened the 2012 season as the starting middle linebacker before his playing time dwindled to nothing — in part because of an injury, in part because of the emergence of other linebackers. During the offseason, it was suggested Daily-Lyles move to defensive end.
"I wanted to play linebacker, but I guess we have a surplus at linebacker and a need on the defensive line," Daily-Lyles said. "Whatever the coaches want, I’m their guy."
As the middle linebacker, Daily-Lyles learned the roles of the other defenders. That knowledge eased the transition.
Football is a game of leverage, and at 5 feet 11, Daily-Lyles is a difficult target for tall blockers.
"My height is a factor," Daily-Lyles said. "It plays to my strength."
During the situational scrimmage on Thursday, Daily-Lyles made a sack.
"He has fresh legs," UH coach Norm Chow said.
Daily-Lyles said: "If you want to call it that. I didn’t run for a couple of weeks. My legs felt like cinder blocks in mud."
Daily-Lyles said he refused to become discouraged about his lack of playing time.
"That’s football," he said. "I love the sport. I’d rather be the last player on the bench than no bench at all. This is what I was made to do."
Daily-Lyles is on track to earn a bachelor’s degree in family resources in December.
"When my mom sent me to college, she said: ‘Don’t come back without a degree,’" Daily-Lyles recalled. "I’m going to get my degree in December to make my mom happy. The football stuff is for me."
