"Unique" is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot, often inaccurately.

But University of Hawaii football player Scott Harding is truly one of a kind. And in more ways than one, which is also a good way to describe the way he punts a football since he does it with either leg.

Let’s start with his background as an athlete; other former Australian Rules pro football players became punters at American colleges. But none before Harding played other positions, too. Harding is all over the field; receiver, punter, punt returner, holder.

Some people call versatile athletes "Swiss Army Knife." To borrow from "Crocodile Dundee," the movie about a character from Harding’s native Australia that hit theaters the year he was born, 1986, "That’s not a knife. Scott Harding’s a knife!"

He’s listed on the spring roster as WR/P, but that’s just because there isn’t room to list everything else he does. Filling all those roles last season earned him the team MVP award.

"He’s very, very valuable. He’s an unbelievable weapon," UH special teams coordinator Chris Demarest said. "Not to mention what he does on offense."

Then there’s his age. Harding will turn 28 before his senior season starts. He’s older than his receivers coach, Luke Matthews. He still gets razzed for his elder status.

"I’ve had that since freshman year, I’m used to it," Harding said. "(Senior linebacker) Beau Yap calls me ‘old man.’ A few guys call me ‘uncle.’ "

Harding doesn’t pretend the age difference between him and his teammates is insignificant, but adds, "That doesn’t mean I can’t have good relationships." And, especially now that he’s a senior, he’s very comfortable taking on leadership duties.

He has the bond with many teammates of Polynesian ethnicity. But even that is unique in his case.

Harding’s father, Russell, is from Australia. His mother, Tulanga, is from Tuvalu — a tiny island nation between Australia and Hawaii now populated by fewer than 10,000 people. And trending down.

Tuvalu, due to climate change, is sinking into the Pacific Ocean and the populace is gradually emigrating.

"It’s probably only going to be around for another 50 to 100 years. It’s 1 meter above sea level," Harding said. "It’s its own country and I’m proud to be of that heritage."

Harding said he’s "definitely" the only Tuvaluan playing U.S. college sports.

"There’s great athletes there," he said. "They’ve got all the talent. But it’s so remote there’s no chance for them to get a shot."

Harding was born in Brisbane and his father was an Aussie Rules coach, so his talent was identified and nurtured early.

UH football connections in Australia that got punter Alex Dunnachie to Manoa helped facilitate the same for Harding. At first, then-head coach Greg McMackin and the other coaches didn’t know what to do with Harding. They just knew they had an athlete.

"Initially they just wanted me to do the punt returns because I was comfortable with that," he said. "Honestly, they didn’t even know if I was going to be on defense or offense."

At the college level, Harding’s greatest skill is his rugby-style, rollout punting. Opposing punt-coverage units don’t know if he’s going to kick, throw or run, or even which way he will roll out.

"Other teams do a form of the rugby kick, but no one in depth as we do, and it allows Scotty to use his talents," Demarest said. "I haven’t come across anyone in the country that can do what he does."

But if he’s to have a chance in the NFL it will likely be as a receiver.

"He’s very sure-handed and runs great routes," Demarest said. "His speed might not be what some of these other guys in the NFL have, but certain teams have spots that he can fit."

For spring practice, Demarest and head coach Norm Chow had strength and conditioning coach Gary Beemer develop a separate plan for Harding, taking into account the wear and tear of his previous Aussie pro career and everything UH asked of him last season.

"We wore him down," Chow said. "He’s so valuable to this team we want him to be fresh and ready for every game."

Said Demarest: "Come Game 1 we want 13 games out of Scott Harding and hopefully possibly a bowl game. So far Coach Beemer’s plan has been working out great."