Three former University of Hawaii football players know about the art of their sport.

Starting today, they will participate in the science phase.

Running back Alex Green and receivers Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares will be interviewed, tested and measured at the National Football League Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. General managers, coaches, personnel directors and physicians from every NFL team will monitor the event as part of the preparation for April’s draft. The combine is separated by positions, and sessions for the running backs and receivers are scheduled from today through Sunday.

"The waiting is over," said Salas, who participated in the Senior Bowl in January and trained for more than a month at Athletes’ Performance in Carson, Calif.

Salas and Green said they will participate in all of the skill drills. Pilares, who suffered a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament during the Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl, said he will take part in the weight-lifting drills, but not the 40-yard dash. Instead, Pilares said he will run the 40 at UH’s Pro Day March 31 in Carson.

"I’ll wait until I’m 100 percent," Pilares said. "You don’t want to go out there and not be 100 percent. I just got (medically) cleared to run in the beginning of the month."

After completing a physical-therapy schedule in Hawaii, Pilares has spent the past two weeks training at the Triple Threat complex in Arizona.

Pilares, who is a little taller than 5 feet 10, weighs 202 pounds. Last year, Pilares power-cleaned 356 pounds, tops among all Warriors.

Pilares said he has worked on his running technique in Arizona. Last summer, while training in Atlanta with former UH teammate Spencer Smith, Pilares was timed running the 40 in 4.37 seconds. He said he hopes to run in the low 4.4s at Pro Day.

Salas is seeking fast times at the combine. As a Chino High senior, Salas ran the 40 in 4.47 seconds. In 2007, as a second-year UH freshman, Salas completed the distance in 4.57 seconds. He said his combine goal is to run a sub-4.5.

Salas is a little taller than 6 feet 1, and weighs 212 pounds. His body fat was recently measured at 5.75 percent.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay predicted that Salas would be a sleeper in the draft.

"That was cool," said Salas, who learned of the praise from training partner Davon House, a former New Mexico State cornerback.

Scouts predict Salas most likely will be selected in the third or fourth round, although he could go as high as the second round.

Salas’ roommate, Green, also received attention from ESPN. McShay praised Green as being an under-the-radar prospect.

"I heard about it, but I didn’t see (the report)," Green said. "It’s definitely an honor to be mentioned by someone with (McShay’s) experience."

Green has worked his way back from a post-Hawaii Bowl stomach virus that dropped his weight from 230 pounds to 219.

"I gained 12 pounds of muscle since I’ve been out here," said Green, who has trained at Athletes’ Performance for more than a month.

His body fat is 6 percent.

"It makes a difference to be out here," Green said. "We train twice a day as opposed to once a day. We don’t do much heavy lifting. We do technique lifting. We work on balance, moving laterally, and on our core."

Green said he has been told he is projected to run the 40 in 4.6 seconds.

"I want to run faster than that," said Green, who is expected to compete at tailback.

After the combine, Green will return to his family’s home in Portland for two weeks.

"Then I’ll get ready for Pro Day," Green said. "I have to take care of business."