In the equivalent of an emergency drill, the University of Hawai'i football team yesterday practiced without one of it best offensive linemen.

John Estes, the starting center, did not participate in contact drills because of a sprained left elbow.

He said he suffered the injury when he landed awkwardly during Monday's practice.

"I didn't put out my hand to brace myself," said Estes, whose left arm was wrapped in a padded medical sleeve yesterday.

He said he expects to resume practicing today or, at the latest, by tomorrow.

Aaron Kia was elevated to first-team center.

Kia and Clarence "Lafu" Tuioti-Mariner both practiced against the first-team defense during two controlled scrimmages.

"John has a little boo-boo," quarterback Colt Brennan said. "We don't need to push him. It's early in (training camp). John will be back in a couple of days. It's good. We're going to need some depth at center. John could suffer an injury (during the season). It's good to get the guys behind him — Aaron and Lafu — in there. They both did really well in there. It was a good thing to let the guys get some reps on the first team."

UH head coach June Jones described Kia, a third-year sophomore from Mililani, as "our jack-of-all-trades." Kia can play tackle, guard and center.

"I used to watch film with Samson (Satele)," Kia said of last year's starting center and the Miami Dolphins' second-round draft pick in April. "He would help me with everything. He knew every position. I figured I might as well know everything. It's working to my advantage."

Dennis McKnight, who coaches the offensive line, said Kia needs to improve on some "technique things, getting his big head out of there. He tends to lean on people sometimes. When he does that, he gets in trouble. When he keeps his head out of there, he's a good player."

But Jones praised Kia's attitude.

"I like his 'want to' — he wants to be good," Jones said. "He's young, and he has to learn some things, but he's a good player."

Tuioti-Mariner was the first-team center for most of spring practice. Estes, who started at right guard last season, was named the No. 1 center at the end of spring training. The promotion was not announced publicly until this summer.

"I'm fine," Tuioti-Mariner said of his reserve role. "I have no regrets. I'm having a fun camp, supporting my brothers.

"I think Estes is one of the best linemen we have," Tuioti-Mariner added. "I'm willing to support him. If he goes down, I'll try my best to make us recover."

Tuioti-Mariner also is trying to learn new skills. On Monday, he practiced at left guard for the first time in his life.

"He had as good a practice as anybody (on Monday)," Mc-Knight said. "He played well."

Tuioti-Mariner said: "I'm trying to do my best."

McKnight said Kia and Tuioti-Mariner benefitted from a crash course against an aggressive defense. Defensive coordinator Greg McMackin has implemented a multiple-blitz, 4-3 scheme.

"I like practicing against our defense because right now they're so fast," McKnight said. "They blitz so well. Their timing and their coordination on blitzes are really tough. To me, right now, practicing against our defense is harder than the games we're going to see. I think it's a plus right now the way everything is going."

BESS GOES FORWARD

To improve his speed, left slotback Davone Bess is taking the straight-ahead approach.

The coaches have instructed Bess to run forward — "north and south" in football parlance — instead of juking laterally after making a catch.

"That's one of the main things I spent my time on this offseason: making one guy miss and getting vertical, getting north and south," Bess said.

Bess' improved after-the-catch running drew praise from Jones, who said: "That's the Davone I used to know."

Jones added: "He's making some unreal plays. He's a player. That's all I know."

Bess said it is not easy to break old habits.

"You can't teach a player how to run," Bess said. "It's all instinct. But you can always tell a player to remember to stay north and south. I make sure I remember that."

Bess also has been working out as a punt returner. Jones usually does not allow an underclassman starter to return punts until late in the season. This year, Jones is expected to allow Bess to return punts early in the season.

"This could be a big year," Bess said.

BLAZE BRINGS HEAT

Running back Leon Wright-Jackson's welcome-to-Manoa moment came on an attempted shovel pass when he was knocked down by strong-side linebacker Blaze Soares. Soares, a former boxer who trains in mixed-martial arts, is earning a reputation as an aggressive hitter.

"I figured it would be Blaze, if anybody, to knock me down," said Wright-Jackson, a former high school All-American who played at Nebraska as a freshman in 2005. "That's part of practice: the game speed. That's what makes him so special."

But McKnight offered this view: "It looked worse than it was. Blaze has one motor, and it's full speed."

UH has a rule in which the quarterbacks are not allowed to be hit during practice. Conversely, the quarterback can be the hitter — an option Brennan declined to exercise yesterday.

"I went up to block Blaze, and I got out of the way because I figured he might take it seriously," Brennan said. "That's Blaze. He's a kid who has blind ambition to hit people. You can't really get in his way. If it were a real game, I would have definitely blocked him. Since it's in practice" — Brennan started to smile in jest — "I figured I'd lay off him, take it easy on him."

McKnight said: "Blaze is going to be a great one. Blaze is a man. He reminds me a lot of Pisa (Tinoisamoa, a former Warrior now with the St. Louis Rams). He's athletic. He can run. He's big. He's strong. He's got that smile to him, that you know he's going to kick your (butt) and there's nothing you can do about it."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.