UH quarterback Whieldon says leave was personal

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

In an emotional reunion, University of Hawai'i quarterback Jason Whieldon yesterday returned to football practice for the first time since requesting a two-week leave of absence because of family reasons.

UH quarterback Jason Whieldon says he's ready to move on.

Last week, Whieldon told the UH coaches he was quitting the team, but he changed his mind and returned to Hawai'i Sunday night. Monday, he participated in unsupervised conditioning drills with teammates.

"They're family," he said of the Warriors. "You spend so much time together, they really become your family. They're real supportive. (Monday) was kind of an emotional day seeing all of the guys. They're there for me, and that means a lot."

Whieldon emphasized that his leave of absence was purely family related.

"It had nothing to do with the team," he said. "I love the team. I loved them before and I love them now and I loved them when I was going through it. It had nothing to do with the team or with playing time or any of that. It was something I had to take care of, and now it's taken care of, and I'm ready to move on."

Whieldon, who threw three scoring passes in the first two games, was the top backup to starter Tim Chang. UH coach June Jones said fifth-year senior Shawn Withy-Allen is considered to be the top backup, and Chang, who struggled in a 31-6 victory over Texas-El Paso last Saturday, will again start.

Whieldon said he did not work out during his leave, and he was not able to follow the UTEP game, which was not televised in Orange County.

"It still feels a little weird now, but I think the guys on the team are pretty receptive," Whieldon said. "I'm real grateful for that. It'll probably take some time to get back to normal, but I think we'll be able to get there. I'm a little rusty. Any time you take a week off, you feel rusty. But it's just like riding a bike. After a little bit of time, you're right back to normal."

The Warriors are hopeful that Chang, who admittedly played poorly against UTEP, regains his touch.

"I played (not very well), basically," Chang said. "I stunk up the place. It's a lack of focus, a lack of concentration. I'm not reading the right people out there. It's all correctable."

Chang conceded there is pressure to being the starting quarterback, "but it's how you take it and what you do with it. You can use it to your advantage. It's all what you do with it."

As for his outlook, he said, "Saturday is a new day."

• Musical defense: Another week, another defensive change. Yesterday, freshman cornerback Kenny Patton and second-year freshman safety Leonard Peters worked with the first team.

Patton played in place of Abraham Elimimian, who suffered a pulled right hamstring against UTEP. Jones and defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa believe Elimimian will not be available for Saturday's game against Southern Methodist, but Elimimian, who did not practice yesterday, said, "It's not out of the question yet. Check back with me on Thursday."

In Jones' system, a player must practice two days before a game to start.

Peters was medically cleared to play after a CAT scan Monday showed his spleen and a kidney had completely healed. He suffered tears to both organs during training camp.

"It feels good to run around again," Peters said. "I'm glad I'm back."

Middle linebacker Chris Brown, who aggravated a subluxed left shoulder against UTEP, wore a specially made brace during yesterday's practice. The injury is so painful Brown needed assistance putting on his practice jersey. But Brown insisted he will play against SMU. Lempa said backup linebacker Chad Kalilimoku will be used extensively to help prevent Brown from receiving constant contact and risking further injury.

• Last chance: Neal Gossett's college football eligibility expires at the end of this season, even though he redshirted as a freshman in 1999. That's because Gossett took 12 credits in the spring of 1999, making him a full-time student and activating his eligibility clock for the 1998-99 academic year. A Division I-A player has five years to play four seasons.

"That's OK," said Gossett, the starting right wideout. "I'm dealing with it."