Former University of Hawaii football player Brenden Daley is being remembered as a tough football player with a kind and witty personality.

Daley reportedly died of a brain aneurysm on Wednesday in California. He was 26.

“I remember when we recruited him,” said UH head coach Nick Rolovich, who was the offensive coordinator when Daley transferred from Ventura College to UH in 2011. “He was a guy who really fell in love with Hawaii. He really fell in love with being a Warrior. It’s sad because he was a bright light in this world. He affected a lot of people. He was a big haole coming from the mainland (junior college) and didn’t have a lot of time to get acclimated. He came in with such a great mind-set attitude.”

Daley redshirted in 2011, then played inside linebacker for the Warriors for two seasons.

Daley went to training camp with the Atlanta Falcons and later signed with the L.A. Kiss of the Arena Football League. This past season, he played for the Bismark (N.D.) Bucks of the Champions Indoor Football League. The Qingdao Clippers of the Chinese Arena Football League recently drafted him. He was considering playing in China this coming spring, according to his agent, Matt Mielke. He also served as a conditioning coach at Ventura College.

“Brenden was as hard-working and enthusiastic as anyone,” Mielke wrote in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “He had a larger-than-life personality and could make friends easily. … Brenden was truly a charmer, always upbeat, and a fun guy to work with and be around. His optimism and personality will be missed by everyone he came in contact with.”