It was calm before the Hurricane.

“Every morning,” University of Hawaii nose tackle Jeremy “Hurricane” McClam said, “I wake up and give thanks that I get to practice Division I football. I’m blessed.”

McClam recalled the polar opposite of paradise, of his seven years in the Army in which he had deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

He remembered watching friends die, the same ones who kept guard while he seized a few hours of rest each fitful night.

He remembered the extreme weather. “It was like dry heat,” he said. “But when it was cold, it was cold. Water was frozen. Spit was frozen. Everything was frozen.”

He celebrated his 21st birthday in Iraq. For his 23rd birthday, he was in Afghanistan’s border city of Kunar, reading wishes on Facebook before getting ready for another day’s work.

“There’s no party,” he said. “There’s no, ‘Hey, you get to stay on base.’ The ball’s still rolling. It was, ‘Load up, we’re going to the check point.’”

He was a fire-support specialist for the field artillery team. Sometimes he would help hide troops, sometimes he would illuminate the sky.

“It’s an ugly, dirty world when it comes to war,” McClam said.

During down time, his escape was putting on headsets while listening to music and re-reading letters from friends and family.

In 2012 — seven years after he walked into an Army recruiting office as a 17-year-old high school senior and asked, “How can I wear that uniform you’re wearing?” — McClam was approved for an honorable discharge. “After the Afghanistan deployment, I felt, ‘OK, it’s time to explore other options,’” he said.

McClam had spent his Army career with the 27th Infantry based at Schofield. He decided to remain in Hawaii, enrolling at Kapiolani Community College. He earned an associate degree in December.

McClam had missed being in a band of brothers, the camaraderie of a military unit. He then learned the Rainbow Warriors were holding a walk-on tryout in January. He wanted to audition as a fullback. But at 5 feet 11 and 236 pounds, he was advised to compete at nose tackle. The tryout was delayed until February, then again until March. By then, McClam was up to 250 pounds. He was invited to the Warriors’ spring training.

Thanks to the plate-lunch diet — kalua pork and long rice are favorites — McClam now weighs 280 pounds. “It’s all eating and lifting,” he said, crediting strength/conditioning coordinator Gary Beemer’s workout program. “It’s having the discipline to eat even though I wasn’t hungry.”

Despite the added weight, McClam maintained his stamina. During the offseason conditioning program, he was able to meet the time limits in pushing a 140-pound weighted sled the width of a football field several times.

McClam is on the Warriors’ training-camp roster. The Warriors’ first practice is Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m proud of him,” nose tackle Kiko Faalologo said. “He’s a cool guy.”

McClam said: “I thank Coach (Norm) Chow, Coach Beemer, Coach Lance (Samuseva) — all of them — for giving me this opportunity. I’ll do anything to make this team better. It’s a great being on the team and having the camaraderie. It’s good to see the younger individuals take leadership roles. It’s good to see them giving their all. As long as everyone is willing to give 100 percent, I’ll give 1,000.”

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

The following UH football practices (on the grass field or Ching field) are open to the public:

» Wednesday — 2:15 p.m.
» Thursday — 2:15 p.m.
» Friday — 2:15 p.m.
» Saturday — 2:15 p.m.
» Monday — 2:15 p.m.
» Tuesday — 2:15 p.m.
» Aug. 12 — 2:15 p.m.
» Aug. 13 — 2:15 p.m.
» Aug. 15 — 10:15 a.m. and 4:50 p.m.
» Aug. 17 — 2:30 p.m.
» Aug. 18 — 10:15 a.m. and 4:50 p.m.
» Aug. 19 — 2:30 p.m.
» Aug. 20 — 10:15 a.m.
» Aug. 21 — 2:30 p.m.
» Aug. 22 — 10:15 a.m. and 4:50 p.m.