To mark his return to the University of Hawai'i football team, quarterback Jack Rolovich yesterday raised a metaphorical glass of good cheer.

"The glass is half full, not half empty," Rolovich said after his first day of training camp. "It feels good to be back, to be out here with the team."

Rolovich, a third-year sophomore from Novato, Calif., was competing to succeed Tim Chang as the starting quarterback during spring practice in April. Instead, at the end of the spring semester, Rolovich was told he would not be among the 105 players — including five quarterbacks — invited to training camp. He was asked to report on Aug. 22, the first day of the fall semester, when the NCAA allows Division I-A rosters to expand.

But when freshman Anthony Gardner left the team this past Saturday, Rolovich was summoned as his replacement.

Rolovich, who was on the Mainland attending a high school classmate's funeral, returned to Hawai'i on Monday. He was cleared to work out yesterday, although NCAA rules prohibit him from participating in contact drills until tomorrow.

"The last couple of weeks have been hard," Rolovich admitted. "I've been out here watching a couple of practices, and that was the hardest thing I've had to do."

Jones praised Rolovich's powerful right arm and competitiveness, but noted, "we only bring five (quarterbacks) to camp. We decided to go with the way we went. Now we're back to five again with Jack here."

Rolovich said he was surprised when he was excluded from the training-camp roster, but vowed not to become discouraged. He remained in Hawai'i during the summer, working out with teammates in unsupervised passing drills.

"It can happen to anyone," he said of the snub. "I feel a lot of guys who it happened to aren't even working out. They've pretty much given up. I've worked so hard since high school. I'm not ready to give up."

He added: "There was a thought of transferring, but I love it here. I love the offense. I don't feel I'm too far behind these guys as far as getting a look this season."

Jones said: "In life, when those types of things happen to you, they either motivate you or you become a negative person. You're better off keeping positive and pushing to what you want to do. If not, you're never going to get where you want to go."

Rolovich also said he gained perspective from the death of his best friend last week. Mike Ford was a passenger in a truck that was blind-sided by a car in Arizona.

"Everybody else didn't have a scratch," Rolovich said. "He hit his head, and he passed away. ... I did a lot of reflecting. It affirms you should never take anything for granted. Being out here now, I'll take advantage of every throw, even in individual (drills) when there's no defense out there. Even when I'm warming up."

He also said he will try to shed his passive image.

"I'm a pretty laid-back guy," he said. "That's my personality. I always have been. When it comes to this kind of stuff, you have to have a little more fire. People who have a laid-back personality, like myself, it's harder to find that. After what happened to me this summer, it was really a reality check. I feel I'm going to come here and be fired up, whether I get reps or not. It's better than not being here."

ILAOA WORKING WAY BACK

Nate Ilaoa, a fifth-year slotback, earned Jones' scorn when he reported to camp overweight (249 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame) and then suffered a strained hamstring during the second practice.

Yesterday, Ilaoa ran pass routes in non-contact drills for the first time since suffering the hamstring injury on Aug. 6.

"It's doing OK," he said of the hamstring. "I'm working out with (conditioning) coach Mel (deLaura) and going through some exercises and such."

He also said he has lost an undisclosed amount of weight.

On the pre-camp depth chart, Ilaoa was listed as the No. 1 running back and slotback. He has worked only at slotback in camp.

Asked if he still was in the picture at running back, Ilaoa said, "I don't paint those pictures. It's always up to the artist of the team — Mr. June Jones. As far as being in the picture, it's up to him."

Jones said: "Hopefully, he'll just keep getting better."

Asked when Ilaoa will be ready for contact drills, Jones said, "it depends on his health."

WATSON STILL HEALING

Defensive tackle Keala Watson said he hopes to be medically cleared to play in the Sept. 3 opener against Southern California.

In May, Watson underwent surgery to repair a broken scaphoid in his left wrist. Although the cast was removed in June, the bone "is still healing," Watson said. "I have to wait until I get more motion before I can start practicing."

As for being ready for the opener, he said, "That's the big question."

The 6-foot-2, 299-pound Nanakuli High graduate cleared a medical obstacle when he was correctly diagnosed with Von Willebrand's disorder. The condition is similar to hemophilia, in which a chemical deficiency does not allow his blood to clot normally.

Watson said he has been prescribed a "stimulant to help blood clotting in open wounds and internal bleeding." The UH athletic trainers hold the medicine while he is practicing.

"If I ever get injured, I can take it here," he said.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.