Two of the Hawai'i football team's best players are best of friends and best of competitors.

But it was not that way on the first day of training camp in August 2005.

"I didn't like him," middle linebacker Solomon Elimimian said of outside linebacker Adam Leonard. "He was big time. All of these schools were after him (in high school). He was a loud mouth. He would never stop talking."

Leonard said: "I tend to be outspoken when I'm comfortable. Football brings it out of me. A lot of times, people may not like it."

Even worse, from the start of their UH careers, Leonard had Elimimian's number.

"He took '44,' " Elimimian said. "I wore that (jersey number) all four years of high school. He came in and took it. He was big time."

But over time, they became close friends — "sibling rivalry," Leonard said — with each serving as the other's supporter and motivator.

"You see him succeed, and I want to do it, too, and vice versa," Leonard said. "If he does something better than me or gets more tackles, I want to be the first person over there to congratulate him. He makes me want to push that much harder. It's like: anything you do, I want to try to do better."

Elimimian said Leonard is "the closest friend I have on the team. We're always talking about football. We go to church together."

Elimimian is the Warriors' career leader in tackles. He was named the Western Athletic Conference's 2008 Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

The past week, Leonard was named to the All-WAC first team for the second season in a row; he was on the second team as a sophomore in 2006.

Neither has redshirted, and each has proved to be durable. Elimimian has missed two games in four seasons. Leonard, despite fractures in both hands and a knee injury that required offseason surgery, has missed one game since moving into the starting lineup in the 2006 opener.

Despite their awkward introduction, they were quick to bond as linebackers and Mainland transplants. Elimimian attended high school in Los Angeles; Leonard was raised in the Seattle area.

"We were trying to learn the same system together," Leonard said, "and going through the same struggles of being homesick."

In the summer of 2006, between their freshman and sophomore years, Leonard invited Elimimian to train in Seattle. Leonard's high school coach had opened a training program. Also, former NFL All-Pro running back Eric Metcalf offered to lead workouts.

"It was really good," Elimimian said. "His family took me in."

That summer, both joined teammate Daniel Johnson on a Fourth of July rafting outing in Washington state.

"We hit this one part, and the current picked up," Leonard recalled. "Our raft flipped over. We couldn't touch the bottom. He thought he was going to die. He was like, 'Adam, don't let me die.' We got through it. That's one of the things that made us stronger."

In the spring semester of their sophomore year, they decided to rent an off-campus apartment.

"Nobody cooks," Elimimian said. "The microwave cooks everything."

In the past two years, they have taken in players who did not have a place to stay.

"We want to help out our teammates," Elimimian said.

Through the years, both have adjusted to Hawai'i. Leonard has tried surfing.

"I'm a good swimmer," Leonard said, "but not an ocean swimmer."

Elimimian said he likes to use a Boogie Board. He wave-boarded once at Sandy's.

"I've never been back," Elimimian said. "I almost got killed. The tide (there) is treacherous. It'll take you."

Yesterday, Elimimian and Leonard were among several seniors interviewed for a segment that will air on the "Coach Mack Show." Both are on track to earn degrees in 2009, although they likely will spend the spring semester training for the NFL draft.

Elimimian emerged from the taping with his eyes welling with emotion.

"It's really starting to hit me," Elimimian said. "Talking about it is tough. You realize you might not come back here again. The relationships you have with people, and maybe not having it anymore, it's kind of scary."

Leonard said: "We talked about it earlier this year. At the end of December, we don't know where we'll be. The last four years, we knew the first of August we'll be in Hawai'i until December, then we'll go home for a few weeks, and then we'll be back in Hawai'i. After this (season), we don't know where we'll train. We don't know if we'll get drafted. There's uncertainty. It kind of hits you. We're comfortable now, but we have to step out of our comfort zone. It's going to be challenging, but at the same time, I'm cherishing every moment we have here. I'm sad to leave, but I'm excited to start a new chapter in my life."

In the past four seasons, Leonard said, "I've learned so much culturally. I'm definitely going to miss Hawai'i. I do plan on returning for a visit."

For Elimimian, his UH career has served as his Wonder Years.

"During this time is when you mature as a man, when you grow up," Elimimian said. "It will be different not having that foundation — the relationships you have with teammates, coaches caring about you. Oh, man, it's tough."

Elimimian said he never envisioned how difficult it would be say goodbye.

"I'm blessed," he said. "I never realized how great it was. It was a decision by God. I thank God every day I'm here. I could have been somewhere else. I matured as a person, and I've become spiritually closer to God. I've learned a lot. I'm glad to be a Warrior."