Blaze Soares is the Human Pile-up, a relentless, no-tapout linebacker whose highlight videos should come with an R-rating for excessive violence.

But on the best group of linebackers in the Western Athletic Conference, Soares is third, behind Hawai'i teammates Adam Leonard and Solomon Elimimian.

While Leonard and Elimimian are representing the Warriors at this week's 2008 WAC Football Preview in Salt Lake City, Soares remains in Hawai'i, continuing to train for what he hopes will be a healthier season.

"Right now, I'm just another name on the depth chart," Soares said.

Soares will become a full-time starter at left-side linebacker this season. He endured injuries during each of his first two UH seasons. Last year, he endured a left-shoulder injury and a stinger.

"It's sore, brah," Soares said of the injuries.

Of the stinger, he said, "You have no feeling whatsoever in your arm."

Despite the injuries, Soares kept playing.

"It's mind over matter," he said. "You have a different mentality. I'm not a wussy."

The thing is, Soares incurred the injuries during practices. Still, he will not decrease his intensity.

"I'm not going to take it easy," Soares said. "I'm going to be smarter about things that I do and the choices that I make.

"That's been my motto: the way you practice is the way you play," Soares added. "To me, that's why I practice hard, because I want to play good. Unfortunately, I've had so many injuries. It's been killing my self esteem and killing my goals and dreams. Hopefully this season, the luck is on my side."

For now, Soares said the shoulder "feels right."

He said he will know if he fully recovered from the stinger "when we suit up with pads. We'll see. I hope to God it won't come back."

AUSTIN HEALTHY AGAIN

Shane Austin declared himself to be physically fit from a fracture in his right foot suffered on the final play of the Warrior Bowl in May. Austin is one of six quarterbacks invited to training camp, which opens Aug. 4. The others are Inoke Funaki, Tyler Graunke and Jake Santos, and junior-college transfers Brent Rausch and Greg Alexander.

"I'm back 100 percent," said Austin, who redshirted as a freshman last season. "Now I have to scrape off the rust. Other than that, life is good. I can run at full speed."

At least four other quarterbacks will be added to the roster Aug. 25, the first day of the fall semester.

But Austin, who is not on scholarship, does not mind the competition.

"I'm fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to be on the team," he said. "I just love throwing the football. I want to play football as long as I can. We'll see how it goes."

Austin recently returned to Hawai'i after spending two weeks in his native California. While there, he worked out under the direction of former NFL quarterback Bob Gagliano.

Austin, who had practiced with a medical boot on his right foot in early June, said: "I don't want to take off."

NAUAHI HEALTHY, TOO

Safety Vili Nauahi also said his surgically repaired left elbow "is 100 percent."

Nauahi underwent surgery in February for a torn ligament. He resumed participating in 7-on-7 unsupervised workouts on Monday.

The surgeon "grabbed a tendon out of my left wrist, and that's how they replaced the ligament on my elbow," Nauahi said. "I'm OK now."