With eight days before the University of Hawaii football team departs for Australia for the season opener, Sydney-raised Max Hendrie still has not received eligibility clearance from the NCAA.

It has been a frustrating eight-month process for Hendrie, who appears to meet all the NCAA qualifications. But he has been repeatedly asked to submit more and more documents. In the meantime, Hendrie has been told he cannot practice with the Rainbow Warriors until his situation is resolved.

Hendrie, a defensive end, has been featured in promotions for the Sydney Cup, an ESPN-televised football game matching UH and California. It will be the first NCAA game of the 2016 season. Last week, a crew from Australia’s version of the “Wide World of Sports” traveled to Hawaii to interview Hendrie.

“I think it’s a shame if he can’t be part of this,” UH coach Nick Rolovich said.

Let’s get physical

For running back Mel Davis, football is physical therapy.

In team sessions this week, it usually takes more than one defender to stop the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Davis. “My first thought is to play physical,” Davis said. “That’s always the result.”

A shoulder injury limited Davis to eight of 13 games last year. His 218 rushing yards were second behind Paul Harris’ 1,132 yards. Of Davis’ 13 red-zone carries, six resulted in touchdowns.

Davis said he suffered the shoulder injury early in the 2015 season.

“But I played through it,” Davis said.

He was shut down for the final four games, then was held out of contact drills in spring training. He said he had to wait until training camp to receive medical clearance to practice.

Davis is part of the rotation that includes Diocemy Saint Juste, Steven Lakalaka, Harris, Ryan Tuiasoa and Freddie Holly. Kaiwi Chung is a fullback/H-back who might get carries in short-yardage situations.

Self-motivation lessons

The lesson of junior college, cornerback Jalen Rogers discovered, is self-motivation.

“The thing about JUCO is you don’t get the same advising (as at a four-year college),” said Rogers, a UH senior who attended Mesa Community College for two years. “You don’t have (anyone telling you) to go to classes. It’s all on you. It depends on if you want to play. It’s dog eat dog. A coach said JUCO can eat you or you can eat JUCO.”

Rogers, who was an NCAA qualifier as a high school senior, attended junior college in the hope of landing a Division I scholarship offer. That came from UH in 2014. Rogers played four defensive back positions in 2014, and started six games at corner in 2015. He is projected to start this season.

Weight watcher

Hold the mayo?

That is no longer an option for defensive end David Manoa.

“Every meal is an opportunity to gain weight,” said Manoa, who is seeking to add more muscle to his 6-foot-3 frame. “I’ve been eating a lot of rice. And I used a little bit more mayonnaise than I used to.”

Manoa weighed 210 pounds when he joined the Warriors in June 2013. He rotated between tight end and outside linebacker. After the 2015 season, the Warriors implemented a 4-3 defense. Manoa’s height and reach made him an easy fit at defensive end. Manoa, who now weighs 250, has become an effective run-stopper.

“Eventually,” said Manoa, who has spent three years studying videos and teammates, “all those mental reps have to be put to use.”

Manoa now feels at ease at defensive end.

“I think I’ll be a D-lineman for the rest of my career,” Manoa said.