The Hawaii native had waited nearly three years for his shot to play football at Brigham Young University, and he knew there was little time to waste.

Uyema will be a senior next year, and has only one season to spend at BYU. Making it through walk-on tryouts was his first triumph. Staying on the roster through spring is the defensive back's next challenge.

"I have nothing to lose," Uyema said. "If I don't make it, I don't make it. If I do, it's a bonus. The most important thing is to finish school no matter what happens."

A 5-foot-9, 178-pound defensive back, Uyema hasn't played a down of competitive football since June 2002 in a high school game for seniors.

He spent the last 2 1/2 years attending BYU-Hawaii and surfing some of Hawaii's famous breaks on his longboard.

But Uyema, 23, traded sunny days on the islands for snowy spring days in Provo in hopes of adding his name to the list of significant walk-on contributors at BYU. The Cougars finished last season with a starting secondary comprised entirely of former walk-ons.

"Because guys have walked on in the past and had success, it opens the door for a lot of the guys thinking they can do the same," said BYU defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jaime Hill. "They just want to have the same opportunity as the scholarship players, and whoever demonstrates they are the best can play."

Aside from the all-white helmets, Uyema appreciates there aren't many differences in how walk-ons are treated during practice.

"The coaches told us to compete against each other, so I am here to compete just like any other player," he said. "I just have to keep working hard."

Uyema, whose father is Japanese and whose mother is Tongan, says adjusting to BYU's Provo campus is about more than just a change of scenery.

"It's a lot more fast-paced and the classes are a little more challenging here," said Uyema, a civil engineering major. "But I just have to try to get used to it and do my best."

Although he misses surfing at places like Rockpile, Uyema's longboard will remain in storage for at least another year. He plans to work in Provo during the summer.

Adding a few football workouts to this routine would make it an endless, yet extremely rewarding, summer.

"No matter what happens, it's definitely worth it just to be here," Uyema said.

rpotkey@sltrib.com

Tana Uyema

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Class: Senior

Position: Defensive back

Age: 23

Backup plan: Uyema is trying to make BYU's fall roster as a walk-on. But even if football doesn't work out, Uyema is excited to obtain his degree in civil engineering so he can return to Hawaii, build his own home and get a job.

Genetic traits: Uyema's father is Japanese and his mother is Tongan. "The Japanese side keeps me small," said the 5-foot-9 Uyema. "The Tongan side gives me the hard work and helps me put in the extra effort to keep going. It's a really good combination."