Joas adapts easily to new position

In moving to slot receiver on Thursday, University of Hawaii football player Pereese Joas is learning to counter-attack different defensive coverages.

That should not be a problem for Joas, who was born with the adjustment gene.

"You have to find a way," Joas said.

Joas has faced — and conquered — more than a few obstacles on his path to a spot on the Warriors’ roster. He aced a tryout for walk-ons in February 2013, his first semester in Hawaii, but did not have enough college credits to join the Warriors. It wasn’t until the middle of the 2014 training camp when he was summoned.

"I had to be patient and believe I was going to get the call," Joas said. "I got the call, and I was excited to be out there."

Joas could have abandoned the dream. "There were a lot of chances to give up," Joas said.

At the end of the 2013 spring semester, Joas’ financial aid expired. He went to a campus market, then emptied what remained on his meal card to buy energy bars and a jar of peanut butter. Everything he owned — the energy bars, the peanut butter, T-shirts and shorts — he crammed into a backpack.

"I was on my own," said Joas, whose family in Frisco, Texas, was unable to offer financial assistance.

A water faucet on UH’s lower campus served as a source for refreshments and laundry.

"The only clothes I had were shorts and T-shirts," Joas recalled. "I wore them every day. I’d wash them, and hang them on a fence while I worked out. I’d let them dry. After I was done training, I would take them and find where my next sleeping spot would be."

He slept everywhere —and nowhere, sometimes preferring to stay awake all night. His goal was to "keep myself moving."

He kept busy training. Sometimes, he attached a makeshift parachute when he ran sprints.

"I found a tire, and I got a rope, attached the tire, and just ran," Joas said. "Anything with resistance is helpful."

He also learned to ration.

"I told myself, ‘Every day you’re going to eat this many protein bars and a scoop of peanut butter and drink water,’ " Joas said. "It was definitely tough."

When the 2013 summer session started, he was approached by UH players who saw him training. Linebacker Julian Gener and offensive linemen David Griffin and Sully Wiefels offered food and a place to sleep.

"They really helped me," Joas said. "I’m very grateful."

Last summer, Joas stayed at a friend’s house until he was invited to training camp.

In 2014, he played in six games, rushing seven times for 67 yards, an average of 9.6 yards per carry.

With the backfield crowded and the slots thin (Dylan Collie and Quinton Pedroza did not practice because of injuries), Joas was moved from running back on Thursday.

A slotback’s requirement is "speed and quickness," offensive coordinator Don Bailey said, and Joas "has speed and he has toughness for his size. He’s a tough sucker."

Joas is 5 feet 6 and 170 pounds.

Receivers coach Luke Matthews said Joas "is what we’re looking for in a slotback, a guy who can make plays in space and get open. He has those qualities."

Of this opportunity, Joas said: "You have to take every day like it’s your last. You have to compete every single day and never give up."