Several Warriors to transfer

About transferring to Portland State, LB Erik Pedersen said:
"It's a great opportunity for me to go up there and start." (HA)

HA Note: "Pedersen will be reunited with his twin brother David, who signed in February, and PSU head coach Jerry Glanville, who was the Warriors' defensive coordinator in 2005 and 2006."

HA Note: "The Vikings run a 3-4 defense, and Pedersen is expected to compete for one of the two inside-linebacker positions. David Pedersen is an outside linebacker."

When Erik sought his blessing before requesting a release from his scholarship, Mack told Erik:
"I respect you as a person. We want the best for you." (HA)

About how it was hard to leave the Warriors, Pedersen said:
"It's like my family here. It was hard to go up to the coaches and tell them what I wanted to do." (HA)

HA Note: "Pedersen, who will be a fourth-year junior in the fall, was expected to contribute on special teams this coming season. But he would have had difficulty breaking into the playing rotation at linebacker. The Warriors run a 4-3 defense. Adam Leonard, Solomon Elimimian, Blaze Soares, R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane, Tyson Kafentzis and Brashton Satele occupy the spots on the two-deep chart. Mana Lolotai also is expected to have a significant role."

About wanting playing time at LB, Pedersen said:
"I know I would have played special teams. I wanted to play linebacker." (HA)

HA Note: "Pedersen will have two years to play two seasons at Portland State. Because he is transferring from a I-A program to a I-AA team, he is eligible to play in 2008."

About the people at UH, Pedersen said:
"Everybody is cool with it. I'm going to miss them a lot. A lot of my best friends are here." (HA)

HA Note: "The past two years, Pedersen's roommate was former UH quarterback Colt Brennan."

About leaving UH, Le'Marcus Ginson said:
"Right now I'm thinking about going to a JC. Nothing against Hawaii. I just think it's a more comfortable situation here for me." (HSB)

HSB Note: "As a true freshman last fall, Gibson played on special teams in the season-opening game against Northern Colorado and tore the ACL in his left knee, requiring surgery. He was still rehabilitating it during spring practice, but did participate in some individual drills. UH's safety situation is crowded this fall, with returning starters Keao Monteilh and Desmond Thomas and potential starters Mana Silva and Eric Robinson. Still, Gibson was expected to compete for playing time in fall camp and his future was considered very bright. He chose Hawaii over offers from Vanderbilt and Tulsa. His hometown school, Mississippi State, suggested he go to a junior college out of high school."

About how he misses home, Gibson said:
"The knee's getting to 100 percent now, so it's nothing to do with that. I enjoyed Hawaii, but yes, there was a lot of homesickness for me and that's a factor in this." (HSB)

HSB Note: "A source said the same was true for speedy wide receiver Eric Shaffer, who is leaving UH without having played a down. Shaffer put up big numbers in high school football in Fayetteville, Ark., and was a state sprint champ with a 10.57 in the 100 meters. He redshirted last year, and got quite a few reps at slotback in spring practice last month.

Gibson and Shaffer are among several scholarship players leaving the program following the end of spring practice. Junior linebacker Erik Pedersen and freshman running back Korey Reynolds are also gone. The transferring players will count against UH's Academic Progress Report rankings, but they do free up scholarships for other players, including some projected starters."