Hawai'i's Una Smiley, an All-America offensive lineman for Palomar junior college, was in the midst of a recruit's dream when he nearly saw it all disappear in a flash.

During one of his recruiting visits, Smiley was shot five times in what he called a "drive-by shooting."

"Now it's going to hold back my future," said Smiley, a 6-foot-6, 280-pound Moanalua graduate. "I was planning on signing a scholarship, and now I'm stuck in a bed. I can't believe it's happened to me.

"But I'm blessed, because one of us could have easily died. I'm blessed for that. I just have to be thankful."

On a recruiting trip to the University of New Mexico in December, Smiley "was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I ended up getting shot," he said.

He was shot in both legs: twice in his left leg and three times in his right, all below the knee. The bullets in his left leg are still lodged in the fibula bone in his shin. The bullets in his right calf passed through and caused nerve damage. Smiley is unable to move his right foot because of the damage.

"If I can't get that feeling back, my ball playing days are over," Smiley said.

Late Dec. 8, Smiley, his host, and their friends were leaving an Albuquerque nightclub when a "confrontation" occurred. Because of ongoing investigations and potential legal matters, Smiley opted not to go into detail.

"I'm not too sure how that's going to work," Smiley said. "I got a phone call (a couple of weeks ago) telling me they have a prime suspect."

While Smiley was attempting to leave the area, the passenger window in the SUV he was riding in exploded in gunfire. He estimates about 20 shots were taken.

"I thought I was going to die," Smiley said. "My window blew up in my face. I leaned back and hid my face and started praying."

In the two- to three-mile drive to the hospital, Smiley didn't know the extent of his wounds, because he was preoccupied with the injuries from the glass to him and the other passengers.

Then he looked down, and saw his legs were covered in blood.

"I told my friends, 'They got me,' " he said. "I got out of the car but couldn't walk. Just put it this way, I had blue jeans and white Nikes, and after I got shot everything was burgundy. I was walking in puddles of blood.

"The first thing that popped into my head was 'Please tell me I'm going to be able to play ball again,' " he said.

Until that tragic night, it had been an exciting time in Smiley's career. A JC Grid-Wire All-America second team member and California Community Colleges Football Coaches Association All-California first-team selection, Smiley was being recruited by schools such as Oregon State, Iowa State, Arizona State and Akron. He was leaning toward Oregon State.

"I can't take any more trips right now," he said. "I think everybody is waiting to see if they can fix the nerve in my right leg."

The doctor for Palomar's football team told Smiley there was a "slight chance" of him recovering.

In the next week or so Smiley, who is bedridden and gets around with the aid of crutches, will undergo surgery again.

"Right now, I don't feel the pain any more, I'm used to it," he said. "Two weeks before, I would have said something different."

He will concentrate on healing and staying positive. The shooting forced him to change plans of returning to Hawai'i for winter break.

"I could remember after the season, when I was going to sign the scholarship, and my teammates and I were talking about who was going to make it to the NFL," Smiley said. "Now I'm here praying I can even run, and jog down the street, let alone play ball."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.