CARSON, Calif. — Jacob Patek and Keenan Jones showed that not all dreams come with expiration dates.

The two former University of Hawai'i football players stepped out of the shadow of obscurity to post respectable performances at yesterday's Pro Day.

Both were unlikely participants. Patek, a safety, completed his NCAA eligibility at the end of the 2008 Sugar Bowl, and he participated in last year's Pro Day. Because he is not draft-eligible this year, he needed a special waiver to participate yesterday.

Jones, a cornerback, was supposed to be a senior during the 2008 season. But a year ago, he was placed on indefinite suspension after being arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse. Although the case was eventually dismissed, Jones never was reinstated.

"I was never charged," Jones said yesterday. "They dropped everything. But it took almost a whole year for them to do even that."

Jones eventually returned to his family's home in Los Angeles.

"I went back to my dad's house and got my head on straight," Jones said.

He hired a personal trainer. Then he called the UH coaches to ask for permission to compete in Pro Day workouts. UH head coach Greg McMackin gave his blessing.

"The coaches and everybody else were cool about it," Jones said.

Jones ranked third among participants in the broad jump (9 feet, 11 inches) and vertical jump (32 inches). His time in the 40-yard dash was 4.7 seconds.

"I did OK," Jones said. "I left it all out on the field."

Patek appeared to be a different player at this year's event.

"Who was that guy last year?" he mused.

Taking a full load of courses during the 2008 spring semester, Patek did not fully train for last year's Pro Day. He weighed 208, and his body fat was 18 percent.

"I wanted to play football, but I knew it was more important to finish school," Patek said. "I wasn't one of the top prospects. I wasn't sure if my football career was promising."

After earning his bachelor's degree in December, Patek contacted Chad Ikei, who runs a training program in Scottsdale, Ariz. Ikei had worked with Patek's best friend, former UH wideout C.J. Hawthorne.

Ikei immediately put Patek on a low-carb diet.

"I had to do pretty intense workouts, lots of cardio drills, for three months," Patek said.

Patek, who is 5 feet 11, now weighs 210. But his body fat decreased to 10 percent.

Despite a tender hamstring, Patek ran 40 yards in 4.59 seconds — more than two-tenths of a second faster than his time last year. He also had a 34-inch vertical jump, tops among yesterday's competitors. He finished the pro-agility drill in 4.25 seconds.

"This year I was definitely ready and prepared," Patek said.

Blog: http://warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com.