In a one-two knockout punch, University of Hawaii linebacker Jerrol Garcia-Williams suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee and running back Joey Iosefa will miss four to six weeks with a fractured right ankle.
"It’s very unfortunate that we’ve lost two extremely talented young men and terrific leaders on this team," UH coach Norm Chow said in a news release. "However, we are fully confident that others will step up and contribute in their absence."
Garcia-Williams can play both inside and outside linebacker positions in the Warriors’ 3-4 defensive scheme. Garcia-Williams is a junior who has never redshirted. Because the injury occurred in UH’s first three games, he would be an applicant for a medical hardship that would leave him with two remaining years of eligibility after this season.
Garcia-Williams told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser he suffered the injury while defending a hitch screen in the 38-30 loss to Oregon State on Saturday.
"When I hit the receiver, my foot got caught in the ground," Garcia-Williams said. "It felt all my weight was on my (left) knee. I just buckled. I just grabbed it. It felt like something I never felt before."
Garcia-Williams said he never suffered a serious injury previously.
"I can’t look at it as a negative," he said."Maybe it’s God telling me this is his plan. I have to watch football from a different angle."
Jeremy Castro replaced Garcia-Williams at outside linebacker. Lance Williams moved into the rotation.
"Whenever you have injuries," Chow said. "The next guy has to step up. That’s Lance."
Iosefa is the Warriors’ best offensive player. In two games, he has rushed for 197 yards. He is tied for fourth nationally with four rushing touchdowns, and has scored a touchdown in six consecutive games dating to last November.
Last year, Iosefa missed seven of 12 games because of a foot injury. He appeared to suffer this latest injury when a defender landed on his ankle during a pile-up.
Even before learning of Iosefa’s diagnosis, according to Chow, Steven Lakalaka was set to receive more carries.
"He’s had a good camp, and he’s lost some weight," Chow said of Lakalaka, who offers a different running style from Iosefa.
Chow also announced that center Kody Afusia, tight end Jordan Pu‘u-Robinson and defensive lineman Marcus Malepeai would be available to play against Northern Iowa on Saturday.
The Warriors did not practice on Sunday. They will go through weight training and conditioning drills on Monday.
