When Dan Kelly's girlfriend from California visited him here last month, she was amazed at the number of people who recognized the University of Hawai'i placekicker around town.

"She was like, 'Wow, I can't believe this is happening,' " Kelly recalled.

But when he was with her in San Francisco and the cab driver knew who he was, well, that was too much. "She looked at me with this you've-got-to-be-kidding look," Kelly said. "It was super funny."

Meet Kelly, that rarest of college football players: a celebrity kicker.

Most places the quarterback and, maybe a running back or wide receiver, gain a measure of community-wide fame. But Kelly rode a flair for the dramatic and the Warriors' remarkable 12-1 2007 season to a new level for his position. Even at a school that produced likely Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Elam, Kelly has managed to carve a niche and identity.

If there was anybody who had a clutch touch in the Warriors' magical 2007 season outside of quarterback Colt Brennan, it was Kelly, who earned the nickname "Iceman" along the way. With a 49-yard field goal, he got UH to overtime and an eventual 45-44 win against Louisiana Tech. Then, with Nevada trying to freeze him on national TV, Kelly nailed a 45-yarder to beat the Wolf Pack, 28-26, with 11 seconds remaining.

It got to the point where then-head coach June Jones said he only worried about Kelly's accuracy when he wasn't attempting a pressure kick.

As one of the Warriors' marquee returnees, Kelly basks in the carry-over glory of 2007 while trying to remind himself that a whole new chapter unfolds with his senior season. For as much as last season was a keepsake, his future is now. If he is to find a place to kick for pay after the 2008 season, this is where he earns that shot, not with yellowed clippings.

"The scouts aren't going to care about what happened last season," Kelly acknowledged at spring practice. "They are only going to look at this season. So, right now, I'm treating it like my rookie season and am going to go out there and play my best, like I'm playing for a job. That's essentially what I'm doing."

When promoters of the Pan Pacific Championships held a press conference to introduce David Beckham, Kelly, a high school and club soccer player, showed up for a glimpse. His presence quickly attracted its own media assembly, prompting a foreign reporter to ask if Kelly was somebody famous.

"In Hawai'i he is," came the response.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.