AZUSA, CALIF. >> Ben Clarke’s football hopes changed with a snap.
Clarke was the starting center the first two years of his University of Hawaii career and then the No. 1 left tackle the final two seasons. At UH’s pro day on Tuesday, he was summoned to snap during passing drills. He acknowledged it was like riding a bike again, and completing the cycle to center resulted in a private meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs, one of 21 pro teams represented at the combine-like event on the Azusa Pacific campus.
“Hopefully, something good will happen after this,” said Clarke, who was honored as the Warriors’ top offensive player twice in the past four years.
Clarke and quarterback Max Wittek are considered to be the Warriors’ top pro prospects. An exhale under 6 feet 3, Clarke is better suited for guard or center. Clarke was not among the 332 players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He was invited to participate in Colorado’s pro day two weeks ago, but his audition was abbreviated after he suffered a hamstring injury during the 40-yard dash.
“Oh, well,” recalled Clarke, who focused on UH’s workout.
Clarke has the so-called “measurables” (78-inch wing span), stats (one sack allowed in 453 pass plays in 2015), intelligence (a biology degree with high honors), and wow factor (video of his somersault dive went viral last year). On Tuesday, he had a 30-inch vertical jump, besting his workout high by five inches. “It was the adrenaline,” Clarke said.
Then during the field drills, boosted by family members wearing “Clarke” T-shirts, he was perfect on snaps — with Wittek under center or in the shotgun — while demonstrating mobility on rollout blocks. “It was a fun day,” Clarke said.
UH head coach Nick Rolovich said: “I’m happy for these guys. When you’re a kid, these are the days you dream of.”
The previous three years, UH shared pro day with Mountain West cohort San Diego State. This time, the Warriors paired with Azusa Pacific, a Division II program, in part because of Cougar head coach Victor Santa Cruz, a former UH linebacker. The event allowed former Warriors to compete in front of scouts, many of whom were in the area for USC’s pro day today.
For Dominique Small, who had two carries during his UH career, it was a why-not shot. He works at a Honolulu gym, and served as his own trainer.
A month ago, defensive back Gaetano DeMattei could barely walk following knee surgery. On Tuesday, DeMattei fulflled his goal of having the top time in the pro-agility shuttle, completing the distance in 4.6 seconds.
For running back Pereese Joas, it was another chapter in his storybook football career. At 5 feet 51⁄8 and 173 pounds, Joas was the smallest of the 11 UH participants. “You have to keep your faith,” said Joas, pointing toward his heart.
Joas had the best 40-yard dash, finishing in 4.54 seconds, and the longest broad jump (9 feet, 9 inches). He benched 225 pounds 13 times.
“You have to keep believing in yourself,” Joas said.
Joas was homeless when he joined the Warriors as a walk-on two years ago. He earned a scholarship last summer. In May, he said, “I’ll be the first person in my family to graduate from college. It’s up to me to get that degree.”
Joas’ best friend, linebacker Julian Gener, conceded he was “under-rated” entering the event. “I had to show up in everything,” Gener said.
Gener has worked with trainer Justin Magallanez the past five years. They worked on breaking down each discipline into parts. To prepare for the 40-yard dash, Gener worked on techniques for each 10-yard segment. For the 225-pound bench press, they create segments based on Gener’s stamina. He would pump eight reps, hold the bar while taking a deep breath, then do another five reps.
“It was the tortoise-and-the-hare thing,” Magallanez said. “Some guys fully press and exert themselves in the first five, six seconds. We wanted to be able to take deep breaths.”
Gener set personal bests with 341⁄2-inch vertical jump and 9-6 broad jump.
Linebacker Lance Williams inadvertently needed breaks during his bench press. After his fourth lift, Williams noticed the bench felt slippery on the left side. He paused to adjust his body, then proceeded to lift again. Three more times, he stopped to readjust his position, the last after his 20th lift. Teammates roared with approval when Williams made his 21st — and final —pump.
“As long as I got to 20, it was good,” Williams said.
Defensive back Ne’Quan Phillips spent the past eight weeks working on his 40-yard dash. The goal was 4.4 seconds. One of the scouts recorded a sub-4.5. But with the adjustment for what was believed to be a slight slant in the field, Phillips was credited with a 4.55 time.
Phillips will have another opportunity. The Miami Dolphins invited him to a private workout next month.
Wittek also will have options after displaying arm strength and a quick release during passing drills. Wittek played the first half of the 2015 season despite injuries to both knees and his left (non-throwing) forearm. During the next-to-last game of the season he suffered cartilage damage in his right knee, an injury that required arthroscopic surgery.
Wittek said his knee is fully healed, but he decided not to participate in the jumping events because the rehabilitation did not allow enough time to train for those disciplines.
With no UH receivers participating in pro day, Wittek brought players he had trained with the past couple weeks. After the workouts, a couple scouts approached Wittek.
VITALS
Ben Clarke
Offensive lineman
» Height: 6-25/8
» Weight: 305
» Hand: 95/8 inches
» Reach: 315/8 inches
» Wing span: 78 inches
» Broad jump: 8 feet, 8 inches
» Vertical jump: 30 inches
» 225-pound bench: 19 reps
» Pro-agility drill: 4.95 seconds
» L-drill: 8.02 seconds
Gaetano DeMattei
Defensive back
» Height: 5-81/8
» Weight: 167
» Hand: 81/2 inches
» Reach: 281/2 inches
» Wing span: 695/8 inches
» Broad jump: 9 feet, 1 inch
» Vertical jump: 341/2 inches
» 225-pound bench: 4 reps
» 40-yard dash: 4.77 seconds
» Pro-agility drill: 4.15 seconds
» L-drill: 6.95 seconds
Benetton Fonua
Linebacker
» Height: 6-03/8
» Weight: 222
» Hand: 93/8 inches
» Reach: 303/4 inches
» Wing span: 745/8 inches
» Broad jump: 8 feet, 10 inches
» Vertical jump: 281/2 inches
» 225-pound bench: 18 reps
» 40-yard dash: 4.76 seconds
» Pro-agility drill: 4.47 seconds
» L-drill: 7.65 seconds
Julian Gener
Linebacker
» Height: 5-11
» Weight: 216
» Hand: 81/2 inches
» Reach: 291/2 inches
» Wing span: 731/2 inches
» Broad jump: 9 feet, 6 inches
» Vertical jump: 341/2 inches
» 225-pound bench: 17 reps
» 40-yard dash: 4.69 seconds
» Pro-agility drill: 4.70 seconds
» L-drill: 7.18 seconds
Marrell Jackson
Safety
» Height: 6-03/8
» Weight: 208
» Hand: 83/4 inches
» Reach: 311/2 inches
» Wing span: 761/4 inches
» Broad jump: 9 feet, 4 inches
» Vertical jump: 281/2 inches
» 225-pound bench: 8 reps
» 40-yard dash: 4.90 seconds
» Pro-agility drill: 4.94 seconds
» L-drill: 7.86 seconds
Pereese Joas
Running back
» Height: 5-51/8
» Weight: 173
» Hand: 87/8 inches
» Reach: 281/4 inches
» Wing span: 681/4 inches
» Broad jump: 9 feet, 9 inches
» Vertical jump: 331/2 inches
» 225-pound bench: 13 reps
» 40-yard dash: 4.54 seconds
» Pro-agility drill: 4.16 seconds
» L-drill: 6.91 seconds
Ne’Quan Phillips
Defensive back
» Height: 5-91/8
» Weight: 191
» Hand: 87/8 inches
» Reach: 293/4 inches
» Wing span: 72 inches
» Broad jump: 9 feet, 7 inches
» Vertical jump: 341/2 inches
» 225-pound bench: 19 reps
» 40-yard dash: 4.55 seconds
» Pro-agility drill: 4.69 seconds
» L-drill: 7.05 seconds
Simon Poti
Linebacker
» Height: 5-111/4
» Weight: 208
» Hand: 85/8 inches
» Reach: 295/8 inches
» Wing span: 735/8 inches
» Broad jump: 9 feet, 3 inches
» Vertical jump: 30 inches
» 225-pound bench: 17 reps
» 40-yard dash: 4.94 seconds
» Pro-agility drill: 4.58 seconds
» L-drill: 7.22 seconds
Dominique Small
Running back
» Height: 5-101/8
» Weight: 185
» Hand: 85/8 inches
» Reach: 291/2 inches
» Wing span: 711/8 inches
» Broad jump: 8 feet, 3 inches
» Vertical jump: 241/2 inches
» 225-pound bench: 3 reps
» 40-yard dash: 4.80 seconds
» Pro-agility drill: 4.75 seconds
» L-drill: 7.53 seconds
Lance Williams
Linebacker
» Height: 6-01/8
» Weight: 230
» Hand: 91/8 inches
» Reach: 311/2 inches
» Wing span: 761/2 inches
» Broad jump: 9 feet
» Vertical jump: 32 inches
» 225-pound bench: 21 reps
» 40-yard dash: 4.69 seconds
» Pro-agility drill: 4.45 seconds
» L-drill: 7.33 seconds
Max Wittek
Quarterback
» Height: 6-33/4
» Weight: 233
» Hand: 93/8 inches
» Reach: 307/8 inches
» Wing span: 751/2 inches
» 40-yard dash: 4.74 seconds
» Pro-agility: 4.59 seconds
