Pay no attention to the hype surrounding the University of Hawai'i football team's 2007 recruiting class.

"They're terrible," said Ryan Grice-Mullins, a junior right slotback. "They're not very good singers."

For first-year Warriors, acceptance is not measured in 40-yard times or bench-press totals. The way to a team's heart is through the vocal cords. In what has become an annual tradition, rookies are asked to stand in the middle of the campus dining room — in front of teammates and other UH students — and sing.

"The thing is you can't be scared doing it," freshman safety Le'Marcus Gibson said. "You get up there, do what you have to do, and get down as quick as possible. And hope you don't get booed."

Lotsa luck.

"Almost all of them got booed," said Adam Leonard, a junior linebacker.

Grice-Mullins said: "They pretty much suck. I give them credit for trying. They have to stand in the middle of the cafeteria with all of the regular students watching. It's all in fun."

Quarterback Colt Brennan and nose tackle Michael Lafaele are in charge of selecting the singers.

"Now that they know they have to sing at lunch time, they've been ducking lunch," Brennan said. "The veterans are really good about it. We try not to make it as embarrassing as possible."

To help those with stage fright, Brennan would start singing, too.

"We're a team," Brennan said. "The veteran guys are there to help."

Defensive end Chris Leatigaga, a transfer from Foothill College, drew praise for his rendition of Nate Dogg's "Never Leave Me Alone."

"It was pretty fun," Leatigaga said.

Another initiation was a pillow-fight tournament among freshmen in the dance studios where the team lives during training camp. Offensive lineman Austin Hansen was declared the big loser.

"Singing," Leatigaga said of the comparison to pillow-fighting, "is easier."

BLAZE BANGED UP

Blaze Soares said he suffered a "stinger" in his left shoulder during 9-on-7 drills yesterday.

He spent the rest of the practice with an ice pack taped to his left shoulder. He walked off the field with his left arm in a sling.

But Soares, who is the starting strongside linebacker, said he will resume practicing today.

"Every year I get this," he said. "It feels like nothing."

Center John Estes, who is suffering from a sprained left elbow, participated in walk-through and technical drills, but not in any scrimmages.

Estes said he does not expect to resume full training until at least Saturday.

Offensive lineman Laupepa Letuli has a pulled right hamstring. He won't resume contact drills until next week.

HOLDING'S A SNAP

Punter Tim Grasso will serve as the holder on placekicks, replacing quarterback Inoke Funaki.

The punters, kickers and long-snappers are not needed for the team drills.

"We can go on the side, and have three hours to work on our snap and hold," kicker Dan Kelly said. "There's more time to practice as a unit."

Grasso, a transfer from Saddleback Community College, was an all-state high school receiver in Utah.

"It seems like it's easy for me to catch the ball and get it down," Grasso said. "Jake (Ingram) is a really good snapper, and it makes it easier when you have a really good snapper. All I have to do is catch it, get the laces out and hold it correctly."

In his main job, Grasso is averaging 4.4 seconds of hang time per punt.

Briton Forester, meanwhile, is competing at punter and kicker.

"The punter needs more flexibility and eye coordination with the ball, dropping it properly in the same place every time," Forester said. "(Place-)kicking is hitting the ball in the right spot. Consistency is everything."

Kelly, who gained 17 pounds since the end of last season and now weighs 212, has been booming kickoffs. Even from the new starting spot — kickoffs will move to the 30 — he is consistently launching shots into the end zone.

He said he has worked on improving his lower-body strength.

"I want more height and power on my kicks," Kelly said.

RISKY BUSINESS

Starting cornerbacks Myron Newberry and Gerard Lewis are now the perimeter kick-blockers.

"You need guys with quickness, the ability to turn, and some want-to," said Jeff Reinebold, who coordinates the kick-blocking unit.

Newberry said the key is to get get low and aim for "where the ball is going to end up and not at the kicker's foot."

Lewis said his assignment is to "put my body on the line. It's risky but it's for the team."

The players, who are both 5 feet 8, have had experience in kick-blocking.

"They have great quickness," Reinebold said. "And when you ask them to get low, they don't have too far to go."

Visit Tsai's blog at http://blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.