The leader of the University of Hawai'i football team's defense — free safety Leonard Peters — has been granted a medical exemption that will allow him to play as a sixth-year senior during the 2006 season.

Peters was told of the NCAA's ruling yesterday morning.

"It feels good," said Peters, who suffered a knee injury in the 2005 opener against Southern California and did not play after that. "I wasn't surprised. I thought I had a good shot of getting (the year) back. I was waiting for the official word."

With the exception of time spent in military duty or a church mission, an NCAA Division I-A player is permitted five years to play four seasons. Special exemptions for a sixth year may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Peters petitioned the NCAA for an exemption, noting that he suffered the injury in the first half of the season's first game. Running backs Nate Ilaoa and Bryan Maneafaiga, and wideout Ian Sample still are awaiting an answer to their petitions for a sixth season.

Told by telephone call of Peters' successful appeal, UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville, screamed: "Whooo-eeee!"

Glanville, who was at his family home in Georgia, added: "If I heard otherwise, I would have jumped in the lake. I would have been very disappointed. I'm so happy right now. This gives us a chance to build (the defense) and become a good football team."

Warrior teammates chose Peters, who is 6 feet 2 and 212 pounds, as their defensive captain last season. He represented the Warriors at last year's Western Athletic Conference Media Preview in Reno, Nev.

"He's big time," said Mel deLaura, the team's assistant conditioning coach.

During UH's pro combine two weeks ago, Peters ran 40 yards in 4.47 seconds.

He bench-pressed more than 400 pounds.

In the flat-bench discipline, with 135-pound dumbbells in each hand, he performed eight repetitions.

"He can do things you don't see safeties doing," UH coach June Jones said.

After Peters suffered his knee injury, Glanville recalled, the Warriors abandoned the cover-1 scheme, in which the corners play man-to-man coverage and the free safety serves as the center fielder. The strategy allows the strong safety to serve as a fifth linebacker in the 3-4 scheme.

"If we had him last year, we could have done a lot of things," Glanville said. "If we had him, we would have been in a bowl. He's worth every bit of two or three more wins."

Rich Miano, who coaches the UH defensive backs, praised Peters as a "character guy." Peters, a Kahuku High School graduate, coaches and tutors youths on the North Shore.

"The kids idolize him, and not only because he's a great player, but because he's a great person," Miano said. "He does so much for the community."

DeLaura added: "He doesn't drink. He doesn't smoke. He doesn't do anything. I don't think he even lies. Where do you find a guy like that? He's ... awesome."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.