Former University of Hawaii football teammates remembered Gary Allen for his magnetic personality and steely determination.

Allen, the most prolific rusher in UH football history, died of heart failure on Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 63.

“He was one of those special guys,” said David Toloumu, a former fullback who often shared the backfield with Allen. “The guy was so magnetic. We were the pieces of metal, and Gary was the magnet. Everyone was drawn to him. He was a great guy.”

In four seasons through 1981, Allen set UH’s career record of 3,451 rushing yards. As a freshman, he ran for nearly 100 yards against eventual national champion USC. He gained 1,040 yards as a sophomore. Despite suffering from toe injuries, he rushed for 884 yards in 1980 and 1,006 yards in 1981, including 189 yards against San Diego State.

“If you put everything together, we’ve had some great running backs,” said Jesse Sapolu, a former UH offensive lineman who went on to win four Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers. “But everybody knows he’s right up there all time. It’s a sad moment for all of us.”

Allen was known for his determined running style and flapping shoulder pads. In practices, Allen ran every drill at full speed.

“He ran so frickin’ hard,” said Brian Derby, a former UH lineman who has run a football camp for 27 years. “I’ve never seen anyone — from then until now, through all my years of coaching — practice as hard as him. We would run 28 sweep, and he would take the ball and run all the way to the end zone. And then run back (to the huddle). And then the next play, he’d run all the way to the end zone again.”

Practice made perfect. On 28 sweep during games, a tight end would block the strong safety, Toloumu would hook the defensive end, and Allen would sprint around the perimeter to daylight.

“I know the program said he was 165, but the program always adds 10 pounds and an inch,” Toloumu said. “He was closer to 5-8 and 155, and that’s soaking wet. He was so tiny and cat quick, nobody could get a shot on him. And when you think you did, he had those subtle moves that absorbed contact.”

It was that quickness and elusiveness that led to Bob Wagner, who was a UH assistant coach at the time, to offer a scholarship to Allen. “His games were highlight films,” Wagner said.

As a standout scatback at Baldwin Park High in Los Angeles County, Allen was largely ignored by Pac-10 teams seeking large backs.

“I don’t know if any of the Pac-10 schools recruited him,” Wagner said. “He was a hell of a player. He could shake and bake, and he had toughness.”

That was apparent during his junior year of high school. One of Allen’s exterior ears was torn off from a motorcycle spill. Post surgery included being fitted for an artificial exterior ear. Two weeks later, he was back in uniform. When a coach asked if he was ready to enter the game, Allen took off the artificial ear, put on his helmet, and ran onto the field.

“That’s how tough a guy he was,” Wagner said.

Allen was the Houston Oilers’ sixth-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. He returned punts and was Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell’s backup. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys.

In 1998, several teammates attended the banquet honoring Allen’s induction into UH’s Circle of Honor. Allen thanked each of them.

“We’re here because of the person you are, not the player,” Derby recalled telling Allen. “The player is secondary. I’m here because you’re a great person. The friendship we made, that’s more important than anything we did on the field. Nobody remembers us as players. We’re has-beens. But they remember how we treated people.”

In recent years, Allen joined teammates on a chartered bus ride from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to attend the Warriors’ road games against UNLV. Restaurant owner Rick Nakashima, who was friends with Allen for more than 40 years, was the organizer of the road trips.

“I’m really hurt,” Nakashima said. “I’ve had a lot of people pass away lately, but this … gosh darn, this hurts. Oh, man, Gary was such a good guy. So darn humble, too. He was funny and a great guy to be around.”

Allen is survived by his wife, Hilda; daughter, Adrian; and son, Jaden, a former UH receiver.