CARSON, Calif. — Former University of Hawai'i football players Hercules Satele and Ryan Grice-Mullins had standout individual performances during yesterday's Pro Day at the Home Depot Center.

Satele, an offensive guard, bench pressed 225 pounds 40 times.

Grice-Mullins, a slotback, sped 40 yards in 4.33 seconds.

They were among 19 former Warriors who participated in what was essentially an audition before more than 50 National Football League scouts.

Satele, who was raised in nearby Long Beach, had entered with a personal best of 26 repetitions of 225 pounds. Satele spent the past three months training in strength coach Harold "Fudge" Fajardo's home gym in Mililani.

Yesterday's weight testing was conducted under a tent on a soccer field. Scouts and teammates formed a mosh pit around the bench-press station.

"I had to calm down, black out everyone around, and pretend I was lifting back home," Satele said. "I took (Fajardo's) advice throughout the whole training. I had my rhythm going until I couldn't go anymore."

Fajardo had advised Satele not to lift in the week leading to the Pro Day.

"He said that would make you hungry for the (weight-lifting) bar," Satele said. "All of the things you didn't do the whole week, you're going to take it out on the bar."

Linebacker Timo Paepule insisted the bar tab could have been higher.

"I knew he'd put up 40," Paepule said. "He's a beast."

Grice-Mullins, who decided to relinquish his senior season and apply for the 2008 NFL draft, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

"I was mad," Grice-Mullins said of that sprint time. "I knew I could do better. It was a setup for this."

At the combine, the 40-yard sprint was held on FieldTurf, an artificial surface in which the "blades" are the length of lawn grass. Yesterday's sprint was held outdoors and on carpet-like AstroTurf.

Each of the scouts recorded the sprint times using their own stopwatches. According to one scout, Grice-Mullins ran the distance in 4.27 seconds. A cluster of scouts credited Grice-Mullins with running between 4.33 seconds and 4.36 seconds.

"That's solid," Grice-Mullins said.

But the good times did not last long for Grice-Mullins. He suffered a "tweaked" hamstring during the passing drills.

"It sucks," said Grice-Mullins, who had difficulty running his routes at top speed. "I want to perform, I don't want to stop and not do anything."

Slotback Davone Bess, wideout Jason Rivers and defensive end Karl Noa also suffered hamstring problems.

Bess sustained hamstring tightness two weeks ago. He aggravated the condition during yesterday's 40-yard dash. After 35 yards, he appeared to slow.

Still, one scout credited Bess with a 40-yard time of 4.49, shaving 1.3 seconds off his sprint at the combine.

"That's why I'm not really trippin'," Bess said

Bess did not compete in any of the running events after that. During the passing drills, he was stationed at a specific spot.

"I need to rest (the hamstring)," Bess said. "It was a matter of going at it for so long. I went straight from my bowl game (Jan. 1) to training. My body hasn't had rest yet."

With Rivers, Bess and Grice-Mullins slowed, that left wideout C.J. Hawthorne to run the deep routes. Over and over.

"It's OK, you don't have to feel sorry for me," Hawthorne said. "It benefited me in the long run. I'm thankful to be healthy."

TURF WAR

To be sure, there were some bittersweet moments at Pro Day.

Defensive end Amani Purcell had to borrow shoes to run sprints on the AstroTurf. He only brought cleats, which were better suited for the FieldTurf used during passing drills.

"I kept switching on and off," Purcell said. "It kind of took my focus off."

Defensive tackle Siave Seti said the AstroTurf was slippery.

"We weren't used to it," he said.

Many of the scouts left after the passing drills. UH associate head coach Rich Miano, who coordinated the event, led the defensive backs in drills that were recorded on video. Copies will be sent to each NFL team.

But the linebackers did not have any field drills.

"Hopefully the linebackers did enough to open somebody's eyes," Paepule said.

ALOHA AND GOODBYE

It was a reunion — and farewell — for the 19 former Warriors, who last played together in the Sugar Bowl.

"It felt good to see everyone again," Bess said. "This was probably one of the last times we'll all be together. At the same time, we're always going to have the brotherhood and camaraderie. We're so blessed to have been in this situation."