Hawaii quarterback Ikaika Woolsey wears his heart under his sleeve.
"Lokelani" — his sister’s name and mother’s middle name — is tattooed on his left arm.
"I made a promise to myself I would never get a woman’s name tattooed on me unless it was my mom’s or sister’s name," Woolsey said. "They’re the two most important women in my life. I love them with everything I’ve got."
Woolsey’s No. 2 quarterback’s status, at least for the spring, also appears to be written in ink. Taylor Graham and Woolsey took the majority of snaps during Thursday’s second practice of spring training. The Warriors go on a week’s hiatus for spring break before completing the remaining 13 practices.
Woolsey showed his arm strength in the first two spring practices.
"When I first came here, a lot of people thought I was a runner," Woolsey recalled. "I don’t know where that came from. I didn’t really run the ball in high school. I just got the ball to my athletes."
UH coach Norm Chow, who serves as the quarterbacks coach, said: "He’s a good thrower. He’s a quarterback, no question."
Chow cautioned that "the game is moving kind of quick" for Woolsey, who has not played between the hashmarks since 2010.
He was a grayshirt who attended City College of San Francisco as a part-time student in 2011 and a UH redshirt in 2012.
"During the offseason, I took it upon myself to get into the playbook every day," Woolsey said. "I wanted to learn everything from top to bottom. I’m more comfortable. Honestly, last year I wasn’t really comfortable with the offense. That wasn’t what I was used to. But that shouldn’t be an excuse. I’m a quarterback. I should know everything."
Chow has tweaked the offense this spring. Offensive coordinator Aaron Price has a background in spread attacks. Graduate assistant Jordan Wynn, who assists Chow with the quarterbacks, advocates a passing offense.
The Warriors used spread schemes during Thursday’s practice.
"We have some of the same pass routes as last year, but coach Price brought over some new stuff," Woolsey said. "I like how things are spread out. It makes it a lot easier to read."
Wynn said: "Ikaika’s a good player. He has a lot of talent. He does a good job of asking questions."
Woolsey’s first sport was baseball. During games of catch, he challenged friends to see who could throw the farthest. That competitive nature advanced to middle-school recess, when he played quarterback.
"I’m blessed from the man above with a strong arm," Woolsey said.
Catch them all
During a route-running drill that did not involve defenders, tight end Jordan Pu‘u-Robinson dropped a pass.
"Everyone got on me," Pu‘u-Robinson said. "I made sure I’d try to catch the rest of them."
He did not drop a pass the remainder of the 90-minute practice.
"I have a long way to go," said Pu‘u-Robinson, who moved from defensive end.
He was used as a tight end at Baldwin High.
"We ran more of a spread concept," he said. "I wasn’t on the line that much and, when I was, I was just blocking."
Pu‘u-Robinson was at Washington State for three years before transferring to UH because of a family situation in 2012. His season was abbreviated after he suffered a fractured middle finger on his left hand.
While embracing his new position, he said, "I miss the defense. I miss the wild guys."
Yap injures ankle
Defensive end Beau Yap, the Warriors’ best pass rusher, suffered an ankle injury in Thursday’s practice. He underwent X-rays. After that, he walked on crutches as a precaution.
