How happy were the Hawaii football coaches to switch over to “GEICO”?

Nearly a week after the Rainbow Warriors’ 54-3 victory over Nevada, the coaches still were gushing about Andrew “GEICO” Choi’s block of a punt.

“Andrew is one of those guys who comes to work every day and works hard,” said Jacob Yoro, who coaches the rush ends. “He always has a smile on his face. He loves football. He does everything we need from him, whether it’s scout team or special teams or having an opportunity to play in a game.”

Each practice, Choi, who said he doesn’t know the root of his nickname, moves from being the rush end on the scout defense to working on the special-team units. One of his specialties is defending against the first-team punt unit. Special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial figured that since Choi was a prolific punt blocker in practices, he should be used in that role in a game. Choi was elevated to the No. 1 punt-return unit against Nevada last weekend.

“At some point, there’s something to be said about somebody who gets so many reps on the punt-return squad,” Ghobrial said. “At the end of the day, our techniques are simple. And as long as they show the techniques and they’re successful with them, they’ll get an opportunity. He took advantage of the scout-team reps.”

Last Saturday, on fourth-and-6 from the Nevada 49, the Wolf Pack’s punt team was beckoned. Choi, who was aligned as the inside-left rusher, maneuvered past a lineman and headed toward a shield of blockers. Choi noticed one of the blockers was flexing out to re-route UH’s Lincoln Victor.

“It opened up the gap for me,” Choi said. “It was a pretty big, damn gap. “Even I looked at it, and I was like, ‘Oh, damn, he’s splitting the Red Sea.’ I threw up my inside (right) arm because that’s where (Quinton Conaway’s punting) leg was.”

Choi made the block, and Justice Augafa grabbed the football at the 2 for the scoop-and-score. Choi said he was relieved it was Augafa who did the scoring dash. “I’m not built for distance,” Choi joked.

Ghobrial said Choi’s rejection was the result of block recognition, fearlessness and perseverance. “It was a credit to what (Choi) worked on with Coach Yoro all the time,” Ghobrial said of pass-rushing drills. “It was his ability to beat blocks. And it was how he got to the punter and still take it off the punter’s foot without getting a penalty. That just showed he executed when his number was called.”

Choi also has overcome adversity. One game into his senior year at Kaiser High, the remainder of the Cougars’ 2017 football season was canceled following an altercation between a coach and parents, according to published reports.

The cancellation left Choi and fellow senior teammates with “a lot of anger, frustration, especially because it was my senior year. It was terrible. After they canceled the season, I said, ‘I’m through with football. I’m done with the game.’”

But a couple of months later, he reconsidered. “I really wanted to play college ball,” Choi said.

Choi eventually was invited to walk on, reuniting with brother Zeno Choi, who was a UH senior defensive lineman in 2018. It was Zeno Choi who recommended that his younger brother reach out to Ghobrial.

“He told me that was my way onto the field,” Andrew Choi recalled. “I would go up to Coach Ghobi’s office, watch film, talk to him about (special teams).”

Choi said he and his brother are close despite their differences. Zeno Choi, who completed his UH eligibility following the 2018 Hawaii Bowl, is 6-foot-3 and played at about 280 pounds as a senior. Andrew Choi, a second-year freshman, is 6 feet and 235 pounds.

“He’s not as friendly,” Andrew Choi said. “I’m a social butterfly. He’ll tell jokes, but not openly, not as much. … He likes to stay home. I like to go out.”

But they share a passion for the sport. Zeno Choi began his career as a walk-on before being awarded a scholarship as a junior in 2017. He was named a co-captain in 2018.

Growing up together, Andrew Choi said, “it was just a house of walk-ons. Nothing special. We’re just here to do our jobs.”