University of Hawaii receiver John Ursua is used to long routes.

Six days a week for two years, Ursua walked between 5 and 10 miles each day as a church missionary in France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

“We didn’t stop working just because it was snowing,” Ursua said. “We put on our coats, and continued to do missionary work even if it was cold and snowing and the weather wasn’t the greatest.”

There were times when he would approach strangers on busy Paris streets. Other times, he would knock on doors in Dunkerque, a remote town in Northern France from where, on a clear day, England could be seen.

Ursua, who was born on Hawaii island and spent three high school years in Utah, had six weeks of French-language training when he departed on his mission. Each morning, he worked out for 30 minutes — running a mile and then kicking and chasing a soccer ball — and then studying a foreign language for an hour.

“Our brains were functioning in French, and once we got out there, we could speak it,” Ursua said.

By the end of his mission, Ursua recalled, his dreams would be in French.

“When I woke up, I was like, ‘What’s going on?’” he said, laughing.

Now Ursua is living another dream.

“I’m grateful for the great opportunity to play football again,” said Ursua, who returned from Europe last May and redshirted in 2015. “It’s a dream come true to be a Warrior.”

Harris shows his stuff in drill

For running back Paul Harris, opportunity knocked on head coach Nick Rolovich’s office door.

Cornerback Cameron Hayes had pleaded for an opportunity to go one-on-one against Harris in the so-called Oklahoma drill. The rules are this: No rules. A player takes a football from a padded surface, then tries to elude a defender in an area that is 3 yards long and 5 yards wide.

“I already knew it was coming,” Harris said. “We were talking stuff all spring long. We had to show who’s the bigger dog.”

Rolovich summoned both players. Harris scored on all three plays, with right tackle RJ Hollis leading the rousing cheers.

Harris rushed for 1,132 yards in 2015, with most coming on darts around the perimeter. This offseason, Harris gained 4 pounds — he now weighs 198 — and improved his blocking. He relinquished three sacks on missed blocks early last season before effectively stopping edge rushers.

He also showed grit with a 30-yard run, up the gut, during Saturday’s scrimmage.

“He’s bought in,” Rolovich said. “He’s come to the realization he’s coming to the tail end of his (college) career. At the next level, they’re going to want a complete back, and (blocking) is part of that.”

Butler moves over to free safety

Dejaun Butler has a new job, but many of the same responsibilities.

Butler moved from cornerback to free safety this spring. But in UH’s attacking schemes, the free safety often is matched in single coverage against the slotback. While his primary focus is on stopping the run, Butler said, “similar to corner, I get to man up, and show my corner capabilities on the slots.”

Butler said he enjoys the freedom of aligning between the hashmarks.

“I like flying around back there,” he said.