RENO, Nev. — University of Hawai'i football player Leonard Peters believes life should be served sunnyside up.

"I try to look at things in a positive way," said Peters, who is representing the Warriors at the Western Athletic Conference Media Football Preview at the Reno Hilton.

Born in American Samoa and raised in Kahuku and La'ie, Peters has spent most of his time on the corner of Straight and Narrow.

He has never tasted alcohol or smoked. Two times a week, he coaches at a youth clinic in Kahuku. "Whenever we need someone to speak out against substance abuse," UH assistant coach Rich Miano said, "the first person we call is Leonard."

Every Sunday, Phyllis Peters said, her son spends at least three hours at the Mormon church, often masking the pain suffered from the previous night's game.

"I know every mother is proud of her son," she said, "but Leonard really is a good boy."

Peters abides by this bumper-sticker mantra: "Every day is a good day; some days are better than others."

"I think if you live by that saying, you'll be fine," he said. "What can be so bad when you're living in Hawai'i? I feel very blessed."

To be sure, Peters' optimism has been tested.

There was the stressful move from American Samoa to Kahuku when he was 9. At the time, he could not speak a paragraph of English.

And when he was 11, there was the anxiety of preparing for his first fire-knife lesson. Peters was required to draw the flame close to his wagging tongue. "The first time, I got burned," he said. "It burned like I've never felt in my life."

Then three years ago, his prized truck — paid by his life's savings and his parents' generosity — was stolen, last seen by the cops en route to a Windward chop shop. "I was really mad," he said.

The thing is, Phyllis said, "he never gives up. He always tries to do the right thing."

Peters conquered those setbacks. With the help of his neighbors, Peters' English improved. He is on track to graduate in May 2006.

"I'm thankful for their kindness," said Peters, who has fulfilled his promise of helping kids in Kahuku and La'ie. "Living in Samoa, they say you're not raised by your family, you're raised by your community. It's the same way on the North Shore. It's a small community where everybody knows everybody. I'm proud of the community, and I want to give back. The community helped me."

His dedication to Polynesian dancing also has worked out. Peters has performed on the West Coast and throughout the South Pacific. Last month, he participated in a prestigious Tahitian dancing competition in San Jose, winning the Mr. Tahiti title.

"It was fun, but the best part was representing the Polynesian cultures," said Peters, who is a mixture of Samoan and Fijian.

As for the stolen truck, Peters now says, "I'm over it. I mean, your first reaction is to get mad. But I realized for somebody to do that, maybe they needed the truck more. And when something like that happens, you realize how much you need to appreciate everything you have. For instance, I used to grumble every month about my phone bill. Now I realize I'm lucky to have a phone. You shouldn't complain about your bills, because every bill means you have something."

"That's Leonard," Miano said. "All of the things he's gone through has made him a better person."

Peters also has developed into an accomplished football player, finally realizing the potential that Miano had predicted several years ago.

The 6-foot-1 Peters weighed 140 pounds when he signed with the Warriors in February 2000. "I thought, with his size and speed, we had to go after him," Miano said. "You can't find that type of speed. And I knew he was going to get bigger."

But first Peters had to get on the field. He was forced to delay enrolling at UH for a year while fulfilling an Algebra II credit. Injuries to his knee, shoulder and spleen limited his play for another two years.

After earning the starting job at left safety in 2003, Peters often was criticized as a speedy defender who often was out of position. "I found out you just can't rely on speed," he said. "You have to play smart. You can't think you can get everything by instinct. It's more than that."

Last season, Peters spent more time studying videotapes of opposing teams and working on his footwork and tackling. He led the Warriors with 120 tackles.

Although it can be argued that a safety's high tackle total can be traced to a leaky defensive front, Miano said Peters' statistics were a product of his skill.

"Leonard caught guys that nobody else could have caught," Miano said. "He's the fastest guy on our team."

Peters was timed at 4.4 seconds over 40 yards last year. But during a game, Miano said, "he's a legitimate 4.3. Anytime a guy has broken a deep run, he's always closed the gap or tackled the guy. Nobody has ever run away from him. Nobody."