UCF’s Dillon Gabriel, Jaylon Robinson bond in Hawaii

UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel is proud of his Hawaiian roots, so it made sense that he might want to share where he is from with one of his friends and teammates.

Therefore, when redshirt junior receiver Jaylon Robinson inquired about joining Gabriel on a trip home to the Aloha State, Gabriel was eager to extend an invite.

“I remember sometime in the spring he was like, ‘Man, you’ve got to take me to Hawaii,’ ” recalled Gabriel. “And I was like, ‘We better book now because those flights aren’t cheap.’ ”

“I’m a big traveler, so obviously I couldn’t say, ‘No,’ ” added Robinson, whose travels have taken him to Brazil and Cancún over the years. “We went down and had an adventure. Got some time away, some bonding time and also put in some work, and just got the time to relax and just get away from things.”

The trip took place in May, right after spring camp and before summer workouts as the duo, along with friend AJ Salas, made the 12-hour flight from Orlando to Gabriel’s hometown of Mililani on the island of Oahu.

“Dillon has a great sense of pride for Mililani, where he’s from,” said Dorie Gabriel, Dillon’s mother. “It’s a small island, and I think he wanted Jaylon to see the connectedness of people.”

“I learned a lot more about Dillon,” added Robinson. “I learned a lot more about his family. I got to meet a lot of his family. Where he’s coming from, his traditions, and how he lived in those ways of life that he grew up. It was something that I take personally, and I’ve definitely created a better bond with him.”

Robinson became one of Gabriel’s favorite options in the Knights offense last season, with the fleet-footed receiver targeted 94 times. He finished second on the team in receptions (55) and receiving yards (979) while earning first-team all-American Athletic Conference honors.

His 18 catches of 20-or-more yards were the best on the team and included nine catches of 40-plus yards.

“I think as friends it’s extremely important,” Gabriel said of the trip. “Now we can kind of put two-and-two together; at least he knows why I am the way I am. He was able to see my family and meet everyone. So that was cool, but then on the football side, just being able to connect on a different level.”

Gabriel said the idea to invite Robinson on the trip didn’t come from former UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton, who invited several of his teammates with him to visit his Hawaiian home during his time with the Knights.

Hawaii, like many states, has been deeply impacted by the ongoing COVID pandemic, which made this visit a challenge. With many places still shut down, the pair were limited in their sightseeing option, but that didn’t stop them from near-daily visits to the island’s famed North and South Shore beaches.

“Jaylon just couldn’t get over how beautiful the beaches were and getting in the water,” Dorie Gabriel recalled.

The group also made a trip to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

The Gabriel family introduced Robinson to the local food scene that turned out to be somewhat of a challenge.

“He struggled a lot, actually. He’s a picky eater,” Gabriel said. “I love sushi. I love raw fish. I’m big on food, honestly so I try a lot of things, but you know Flash, on the other hand, loves the basic foods. He doesn’t like sauces. He’s very strict to the point. He likes rice and some kind of meat.”

“I’m just a very very, very, very, very picky eater, so I’m really basic,” said Robinson of the challenging menus. “I don’t like onions or tomatoes on things, so anything that I see that I don’t like. I’m not trying.”

Robinson did admit he tried poi, a traditional Hawaiian dish made from taro roots, but he left it at that.

“I tried it,” he said with a smile.

Food aside, Gabriel and Robinson did find time for some football, with the pair spending most mornings working out in the family’s home gym. From there, they would travel the short distance to Miliani High School, where they would spend time working on passing routes.

The two were joined by Gabriel’s younger brother Roman and Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, a 4-star receiver from James Campbell High in Ewa Beach, who signed with the Knights as part of its 2021 recruiting class.

In turn, it afforded Robinson and Mokiao-Atimalala the opportunity to connect before fall camp.

‘That was just one of the good examples of his leadership,” coach Gus Malzahn said of the adventure. “Just doing the extra to try to do the little things to give our team the best chance of being successful. He’s a big-time quarterback. He’s really our leader. When your leader sets the tone for everything else, by example, that really is great things on the field on Saturdays.”

Gabriel said while the trip was helpful as they prepare for this upcoming season, he said the memories made will last much longer.

“You know we’ll be close for life because of it, but also he’s my best friend, so we have that connection,” Gabriel said. “We’re able to communicate better, and likewise, we just got a lot of love for each other so that, in turn, translates on to the field.”

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.