When the Hawai'i football coaches call roll, there is no doubt who will respond "here."

Center John Estes has made 51 consecutive starts, the longest current streak in Division I-A football.

"Since I've been here," said offensive line coach Gordy Shaw, who was hired in February, "he hasn't even missed a practice."

To be sure, Estes has had his share of ailments. The most significant one was in 2006, when he injured his AC joint in his right shoulder against Oregon State.

But that came in the regular-season finale, and he had three weeks to heal before the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.

"I stuck it out and played in the bowl," Estes said.

For Estes, the key is getting his daily iron.

"You have to do your work in the weight room," Estes said. "You have to take care of your body. You have to play hard and practice hard. Usually when you get tired and lazy, that's when you get hurt."

Estes said every morning, he tries to do shoulder circles — exercises involving 5- to 10-pound weights. He said the exercises are an efficient warmup that strengthens the rotator cuffs in his shoulders.

"He treats his body as a temple," Shaw said. "He's religious about making sure all of his joints are strong by working out in the weight room. He conditions himself so he always has endurance to finish the game.

"Probably the most important thing is he doesn't let little injuries hold him back," Shaw added. "He doesn't let banged-up ankles, bumped knees, banged-up shoulders, sore necks hold him out."

Estes said playing hurt is better than not playing at all.

"I hate even sitting out in practice," he said. "I can't even imagine what it's like sitting out a game. I've had nightmares about coming late to games. It's like the worst feeling. I stick it out and play."

BACKUP PLANS

The Warriors are crafting contingency plans in the slight chance that quarterback Bryant Moniz and slotback Greg Salas are not available to play in Saturday's road game against San Jose State.

Moniz, who has started six consecutive games, has bruised right ribs.

Salas, who is the NCAA Division I-A leader with 136.0 receiving yards per game, has a sprained right foot.

Although both did not practice yesterday, they are expected to play Saturday.

Shane Austin, who replaced Moniz on the second play of the fourth quarter last week, has been taking the first-team reps. Brent Rausch is Austin's immediate backup.

Moniz has enough familiarity with the system that he would not need extended practice time.

"If he can play, he's going to play," head coach Greg McMackin said.

Salas also does not need much preparation time. Salas said he suffered the injury on the first series of the past Saturday's 24-6 victory over New Mexico State. He played all but the final series, making a school-record 16 catches.

McMackin said Salas' availability is a "game-day decision." But Salas has said he should be ready to play.

If Salas is not available, UH has two options:

• Left wideout Kealoha Pilares could move back to slotback, where he started the first five games. Then Royce Pollard, who has been cleared to play, Joe Avery, Craig Bell or Mike Tinoco would open at left wideout.

• Ryan Henry, a fourth-year junior, could play left slotback.

"Ryan Henry has had good practices," offensive coordinator Ron Lee said. "He's been getting a lot of reps."

Lee also said that Pollard, who missed the past five games because of a hairline fracture in his left fibula, is "100 percent."

Pollard has been practicing with a light brace on his left shin. But he will play without a brace in the game.

"We don't know what Salas' situation is, so we're covering all of our bases," McMackin said.

Another option is to move slotback Miah Ostrowski into the rotation. The Warriors will decide after this morning's practice whether to take slotback Dustin Blount, who is recovering from a pulled right hamstring, or Ostrowski on the trip. Blount doubles as a kick returner.