Happiness is Hawaii defensive lineman Daniel “Sauce” Williams.

He grew up in a hard-scrabble area of San Antonio, where the row of high-rises was known as gun-rises, where he witnessed “things I wasn’t supposed to see as a kid.” But from the despair, he found football. “Football was my escape,” he said.

Inspiration is Tonya Williams, a single mom who works three jobs, and sometimes a fourth, and also is studying nursing. As a special-education teacher, she had difficulty leaving work at work. She decided to add to her family of three children, adopting six children who are on the spectrum. “She wanted to give back to people who have had a less fortunate life than us,” Sauce Williams said.

In tribute to his six adopted siblings, Williams has “autism” tattooed on an arm. “It’s chaos, but it’s all love, especially on giving them a better chance in life,” Williams said. “We’re one big family. They wake up every day with a smile on their face. Why should I ever wake up mad?”

While friends have chipped in to assemble bunk beds and clean the house, Williams regrets being 3,700 miles away and unable to help with chores. He calls his mother every day.

“I tell her I love her,” he said, “sometimes two, sometimes 50 times a day.”

Motivation is associate head coach Chris Brown.

During the offseason, Brown, a former UH linebacker who is capable of bench-pressing 225 pounds 42 times, helped oversee the offseason strength program. Williams had just finished benching 495 pounds when Brown added 25 more pounds to the bar.

“I told Coach CB I never did 515,” Williams recalled. “The one time I did 500, it was a struggle. He patted me on the back and said: ‘Are you ready to lose and give up everything right now?’ I said, ‘I’ve got to do it.’ I got under it and knocked it out twice. It’s when you’ve got that hand on your back to guide you.”

Education is D-line coach Jeff Reinebold.

RELATED

>> Hawaii football special: OL Ka‘ena Decambra

>> Hawaii football special: Place-kicker Kansei Matsuzawa

>> Hawaii football special: Associate Head Coach Chris Brown

>> Hawaii football special: DB Peter Manuma

>> Hawaii football special: Daniel ‘Sauce’ Williams

>> Hawaii football special: WR Alex Perry

>> Hawaii football special: QB Brayden Schager

>> Hawaii football special: LB Jalen Smith

>> Hawaii football special: RB Cam Barfield

The first time Reinebold reached out, Williams ignored the text, convinced it was spam. Williams no longer ignores Reinebold, who uses the late heavyweight champion “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier as an example that leverage is an advantage in hand-to-hand combat. According to Reinebold, the 5-11 and 305-pound Williams is able to fight off taller double teams as a nose tackle of 3-tech because of leverage, strength, quick hands and moves he learned from shadow boxing after practices.

Comfort is cuisine.

Williams was quick to embrace Hawaii’s food and refreshments. He has a standing DoorDash order of California-style burritos from Serg’s Mexican Kitchen in Manoa. Last year, teammates Ka’ena Decambra and Zhen Sotelo asked Williams to try what they termed “water with sugar.”

“They gave me a cup,” he said of his first taste of POG. “I missed weigh-ins the next day. I must have had four gallons. I love everything about it.”

He also has developed a sweet tooth for Noms.

The thing is, Williams has balanced his diet with healthier choices, leading to losing 25 pounds during the offseason.

Scouting report

The Warriors are reorganizing the front after nose tackle Kuao Peihopa moved to the offensive line and John Tuitupou completed his eligibility. Williams, Ezra Evaimalo and transfers Dion Washington (Nevada) and Jamar Sekona (USC) are in the interior-tackle rotation. New defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman relies on multiple looks (three- or four-man line) and blitzes. But the key is a strong pass rush. Jackie Johnson III and Elijah Robinson, who was granted a waiver to play as a seventh-year senior, have brought the heat from the edge.

At this position

12 Wynden Ho‘ohuli 6-3 240 Jr.

57 Jackie Johnson III 6-0 245 Jr.

5 Tariq Jones 6-2 250 Jr.

51 Lesterlaisene Lagafuaina 6-4 225 fr.

0 Elijah Robinson 6-4 260 Sr.

Tackles

52 Ezra Evaimalo 6-2 260 Sr.

17 Malachi Finau 6-2 285 So.

95 Anthony Sagapolutele 5-11 260 Sr.

77 Jamar Sekona 6-2 295 Sr.

19 Dion Washington 6-2 295 Jr.

69 Daniel “Sauce” Williams 5-11 305 Sr.