With his surgically repaired right ankle held together with thin metal rods and comforted by pain-killing injections, University of Hawai'i football player Ikaika Curnan was indeed on pins and needles during his offseason rehabilitation.

But the ankle now is fine, and so, too, is Curnan, who has apparently regained his starting job at inside linebacker. Curnan, a fifth-year senior from Saint Louis School, has practiced with the first team this week.

"It's all good," Curnan said.

As an outside linebacker in 2003, Curnan led the Warriors with 121 tackles. He moved to inside linebacker last season, starting the first four games before suffering ligament damage in his right ankle. He managed to hobble through 10 games last year.

"The rehab people were really surprised at how fast I recovered," said Curnan, who underwent surgery in January. "It usually takes a year to get healed from this type of surgery. It's been a journey."

Curnan was restricted from contact drills for the first five days of training camp. But his lateral quickness improved to a point where he was able to compete in 6-on-7 passing drills. From there, he remained on the field for 11-on-11 limited contact scrimmages.

"He's running around," UH coach June Jones said.

Curnan said he is trying to force himself to play at full speed.

"You have to think that way," he said. "That's how you cut down on injuries. Good things happen when you play at full speed. If you try to turn it off and on, then you get lazy."

Curnan, who is 5 feet 10, weighs 235 pounds — at least 10 more than his preferred weight. He was 242 at the start of camp.

SAVAIIGAEA IS ELIGIBLE

At the end of yesterday's morning practice, freshman defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea received the word. " 'Eligible' is all I heard coach Jones say," Savaiigaea recalled.

With the NCAA's blessing, the 2005 'Aiea High graduate was cleared to practice yesterday afternoon.

"I was really worried and getting down," he said. "At first, I was like, 'Yeah, I can get out there.' But the next day came and then the next day and the next day, and there was no word. (Wednesday) night, I talked to my dad, my friend Amaka and my mom, and they were like, 'Keep your head up. Be positive.' "

Running back Mario Cox, defensive end John Fonoti and defensive back Ulysses Dalton have met the requirements to play this season, but are still awaiting the NCAA's confirmation.

BESS KICKING BACK

Freshman slotback Davone Bess is auditioning as the emergency punter. If successful, he will have the unique dual roles of punter and punt returner. "One of a kind, baby," he said.

Bess said he was his high school team's backup punter. "We ran mostly fakes," he said.

At UH, he would be one of the understudies to Kurt Milne. Jeremy Shibata, a freshman from Iowa, joined as a placekicker, but now is used exclusively as a punter.

"I'm not a true punter," Bess said, "but I can get the ball out there."

MOE SNAPPING BACK

Like many Hawai'i residents, linebacker Tanuvasa Moe, who is married and has three children, is working a second job.

Moe is resuming his job as the long-snapper, a role he relinquished last year to focus on linebacker. But after long-snapper Bryce Runge opted not to return, Moe was summoned.

"I didn't do it last year so I have to get back into the rhythm," Moe said. "It's a lot of mechanics. When you've been out of it for a year, you have to go and get the basics back. It's getting along. I'm sure by game day, I'll be ready."

Moe said he is working on his conditioning. He was the rare snapper who had the speed to chase down punt returners.

"Hopefully, I can be like another gunner and get some good shots on the returner," he said. "That's why I'm out there every day after practice."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.