UH receiver Flanagan may miss entire season

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i wide receiver Denny Flanagan might miss the 2003 season while he recovers from a severely torn left hamstring.

"I would anticipate he would not play this year," UH coach June Jones said of Flanagan, who suffered the injury during a high school track meet in California in 2002.

Flanagan was not healthy enough to play as a UH freshman last fall. He said he aggravated the injury four times, the last time in February, forcing him to miss 15 days of spring practice.

Flanagan returned Monday from Huntington Beach, Calif., where he was receiving treatment for the high-hamstring injury.

"I'm improving," Flanagan said, "but I don't want to rush it. I want to make sure everything is fine."

Flanagan admitted to "feeling frustrated," but said, "I've got a lot of time left (at UH)."

He has four years to play four seasons.

"I want him to get well," Jones said. "He knows what he needs to do, even if it takes a year to get better. (Returning too early) might end his career. He has to use his judgment."

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Flanagan was named to the Los Angeles Times' Orange County all-star team as a senior at Edison High. He can run 40 yards in 4.4 seconds and 100 meters in 10.8 seconds.

Meanwhile, Jones disputed reports that wide receiver Mark Tate of San Diego would not play this season.

"He's on the team," Jones said.

Tate, who will be a fourth-year junior in the fall, missed last season because of injuries suffered in an off-season moped accident.

Tate suffered a pulled hamstring during spring practice in April, but the injury was not considered to be serious.

"Everything is fine," said his mother, Elizabeth Tate. "He's on the Islands having a good time."

Jones personally recruited Tate, who turned down offers from Kansas State, Wisconsin and Washington State to sign with UH.