Even at 5 feet 9 and 170 pounds, Richard Torres amazes his Hawai'i football teammates with his courage, grit and skill.

But cut him, and his blood is red — the color of his high school alma mater.

"I'm proud to be from Kahuku," said Torres, whose father is the Red Raiders' head football coach.

Torres' emergence as a nickelback and key member of three special-team units has not gone unnoticed on the North Shore.

"Once a Red Raider, always a Red Raider," said Inoke Funaki, a UH quarterback and Kahuku alumnus. "In the community, the kids look up to the Kahuku football players. He was one of them."

During the season, Torres lives in an apartment across the street from the Stan Sheriff Center. But his heart remains in Kahuku.

"I love that community," Torres said.

He was raised a 10-minute walk from Kahuku High. As a coach's son, the school's field was his playground. His first job was as a waterboy for the junior varsity.

"I remember looking up to Inoke Funaki and Leonard Peters," Torres said. "Being around, all you could think about was growing up and playing Red Raider football. When you actually get to do it, it's a big honor. You take pride in it."

Torres said he enjoys the laid-back lifestyle in Kahuku. Torres and his friends often have barbecues at La'ie Point.

"Just throw the grill in the back of the truck," he said. "A bunch of us barbecue, swim and relax. It's good fun."

They also have taken part in a rite of passage: Diving off of La'ie Point.

"It's way higher than Waimea," Torres said. "The first time I jumped off, I under-estimated it. It was like, 'Whoa, I'm still in the air.' I hit the water, and it was like, 'Aw, that hurt.' After that, it was good fun."

A greater leap of faith was deciding to turn down an offer of a partial scholarship from Western Oregon to join the Warriors as a non-scholarship player.

Torres was a champion wrestler and judo player (he owns a first-degree black belt), but his dream was to play Division I football.

"Nothing is better than playing on the island," Torres said. "I'm still a walk-on, but everything is super good now."

In the past Saturday's 49-17 victory over Idaho, Torres was used at nickelback in place of injured Ryan Mouton. He also fielded an onside kick, and ran it 25 yards to the Idaho 14. Two penalties advanced the ball to the 4, from where Daniel Libre rushed for a touchdown.

"I felt like I was in high school, running the option again," said Torres, who played both quarterback and defensive back for the Red Raiders. "I saw the open field, and I was trying to get to the end zone."

Mouton, whose availability is in question for Saturday's game against Washington State, said Torres is capable of playing nickelback.

"You don't have to teach him," Mouton said. "He pretty much knows what he's doing. He works hard. He's a technician. If he has questions, he'll ask. For the most part, he knows what he's doing."

Torres said: "It's hard to be a Mouton. He's so athletic and so fast. The things he can do are amazing. I'm trying to learn as much as I can."

Funaki said Torres has earned his teammates' respect.

"I've seen it many times where people get to a point where they level off," Funaki said. "He's still continuing to get better. The way he worked to get on the team is the way he's working to get better. He's disciplined. He's humble. He has a great attitude. He works his butt off. Now I'm the one looking up to him."Graunke sidelined

Reserve quarterback Tyler Graunke is not practicing while he deals with a "personal matter."

UH head coach Greg McMackin declined to elaborate.

Graunke, who started two games last season while serving as Colt Brennan's understudy, is fourth on the depth chart behind Greg Alexander, Brent Rausch and Funaki.

ESTES GETS CLIPPED

Home fans can be tough.

Center John Estes' long hair became entangled in a fan Monday night. As a result, he approved lopping off the hair he had grown for the past two years.

"I was sleeping by a fan and it got sucked in," Estes said. "It's unfortunate, but I needed a haircut, anyway. ... It's high maintenance, but it looked good."

Estes said defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea made the cuts.

"That's not the whole truth, but it's part of the truth," Savaiigaea said. "I saved his life, though."

PILARES STILL SORE

Sloback/running back Kealoha Pilares did not practice yesterday because of a sore right foot. He aggravated the injury against Idaho.

After practice, he was wearing a medical boot.

"I tried, but I couldn't run on it," he said.

He is hopeful of playing Saturday. "We'll see," he said.