Gene Pryor was an extra in Eddie Murphy’s “Daddy Day Care,” and he has appeared in commercials for ice cream and “Barney & Friends.”
This spring, Pryor has been auditioning for a starting role with the Hawaii football team. The junior from Visalia, Calif., has practiced as the No. 1 right tackle on the offensive line.
“It’s a new position to learn,” said Pryor, who was a left tackle at College of the Sequoias in 2017 and a backup guard for the Rainbow Warriors last season. “Working with the guys is great.”
At 6 feet 3 and 305 pounds, Pryor fits the physical characteristics of an interior lineman. Pryor played in the 2018 opener against Colorado State and the SoFi Hawaii Bowl against Louisiana Tech. By appearing in fewer than four games, he was allowed to count that season as a redshirt year, leaving him with two seasons of eligibility.
“It wasn’t hard for me when they put me on the redshirt track,” Pryor said. “I thought it was an advantage because it would give me time to learn the playbook, work on my skills, and get stronger in the weight room so I could execute better on the field.”
Offensive line coach Mark Weber said Pryor would have been used more if necessary in 2018. But left guard J.R. Hensley and right guard Solo Vaipulu started every game, and Kohl Levao strengthened the middle when he moved from right tackle to center for the final three games.
Weber indicated Pryor benefited from the apprenticeship.
“He’s a guy who learns mostly by repetition,” Weber said. “If we had injuries, then he could have played and he’d have done well. Otherwise, he will do better this year than he would have last year.”
As spring training unfolded, it became apparent Pryor was deserving of an expanded role.
“You want to get the five best (offensive linemen) on the field as much as possible,” Weber said. “He was working so hard and doing so well, he has become one of the five best.”
The switch to right tackle required adjustments from playing guard or blind-side tackle. Pryor said he had to adopt new footing, steps and visual angles. But Weber has expressed confidence in Pryor excelling at the new position.
“There are a lot of things to like about him,” Weber said. “He’s got a lot of skills. He’s got a great feel. He’s got great power. He’s strong. He’s functionally strong on the football field. And he’s a wonderful young man who gives every ounce he’s got.”
During Thursday’s practice, Pryor demonstrated his quickness when he pulled on several plays to the left side.
“Gene pulls, they all pull,” Weber said. “They’re big athletic guys. It’s fun to watch.”
Pryor said he has receives support from his extended ohana. He was 7 years old when his mother died, necessitating the move from Los Angeles to Visalia. That ended his budding acting career, but it opened the way for an enduring friendship with the Jump and Brooks families. Joshua Jump, Jami Jump, Michelle Brooks and Harry Brooks served as hanai guardians when Pryor’s father worked. “They were there for a lot of mental support and everything else,” Pryor said.
