University of Hawaii football player Damien Packer remembered when he was a member of the "Why."

Why was he running sprints on an SPF-100-scorching day? Why was he living on RAT — ramen and tuna — while paying for his own tuition and school expenses? Why was he making those sacrifices for a team in which he barely drew the coaches’ acknowledgement?

Packer recalled thinking: "You’re up in the dorm room, you’re lonely, and you wonder, ‘Is it all worth it?’"

But Packer knew why.

It was because of his mother, Angela, who worked two jobs so he would not quit on his dream. "She raised me to keep working hard because something good will happen," Packer said.

It was in tribute to Maka’ala Lum Ho, his best friend and Kea’au High teammate, who died in an ocean accident during their junior year. Packer wears No. 21, Lum Ho’s Kea’au jersey number, "as a constant reminder. Because of Maka, I make the best of every opportunity. Every play could be my last play. Every day could be my last day."

And Packer said he tries to set an example for the kids in Hawaii island’s Puna district. In the late 1990s, Puna was known as the "Wild, Wild, West."

"Drugs, people caught up in the wrong situations, teen pregnancies … we don’t have a good reputation," Packer said. "It’s a big deal, giving the kids from my hometown hope. I go back and (tell them): ‘If you look at me, I came from nothing and now I play for the state of Hawaii. You guys can do anything you want, too.’ I want to be a positive role model for them. Not a lot of positive things come out of my town. … It’s about to change. There is a good group of kids coming up. We’re making a change."

When he first joined the Warriors, Packer said, "I was a walk-on and the coach didn’t even know my name."

He was assigned to the scout team, where he wore the unit’s yellow jersey, while simulating the upcoming opponents’ plays. He said: "It’s easy to get off track. ‘I’m doing this for nothing.’ ‘I’m on the scout team.’ ‘The coach is never going to notice me.’ I’ve been in the yellow jersey. I started from the complete bottom."

Packer decided he was going to work hard and without complaints. "You can’t talk about respect," he said. "You have to earn it."

UH coach Norm Chow noticed, and awarded a scholarship to Packer. After bouncing between defense and offense, Packer is now at safety. He has been promoted to No. 1 nickelback for Saturday’s game against Boise State. Nickel is a combination of safety and strong-side linebacker. Packer can run 40 yards in sub-4.6 seconds and bench press 400 pounds.

"He’s pretty good there," defensive coordinator Tom Mason said. "We’re going to give him a shot there."

Packer said: "It just shows if you put your mind to it, and trust God has a plan for you, and you work as hard as you can, good things will happen."