Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com
By Ana Kieu
Off the eastern coast of Australia lies the Kingdom of Tonga, an archipelago consisting of 169 islands that covers just shy of 300 square miles in surface area. The islands are vibrant and rich with Polynesian culture from its small yet friendly population. It’s the kind of place you see in movies, where the people all know each other and care for one another. It’s also the unlikely birthplace of many famous athletes.
While Tonga’s national sport is rugby, American football players have rapidly emerged throughout the years, some even making it to the NFL. NFL defensive line stars Haloti Ngata and Star Lotulelei are just two examples of the type of athletes Tonga produces, and it just so happens that perhaps the next great Tongan NFL player currently starts at defensive tackle for the San Jose State Spartans.
Sailosi Latu was born and raised in Tonga, where he excelled at rugby. His large and athletic frame made it easy for him to excel at the sport and it soon led to an easy transition to American football. When he was 16, Latu moved with his family to the United States, and the decision was made for him upon arrival that he was going to play football, even if he was initially against the idea.
“When we left Tonga to come to America, my dad’s main goal was for us to get a better education, find better opportunities, and set ourselves up for a better life,” Latu said. “The first thing he said to me when we got here was ‘Are you ready to play football?’ and I was like, ‘Nope.’
“But we went to the high school that I was going to be playing for, and the coaches were telling us what positions I could play. They were asking me if I wanted to be a linebacker or on the defensive line, and I had no idea. I was like, ‘can I carry the ball?’ and at the time, I was like 6-foot-1 or so already and 230 pounds. In rugby, you get to both carry the ball and play defense, so that’s what I wanted to do here, but the coaches were like ‘You’re too tall for that’. They told me that the easiest position for a guy like me to play would be on the defensive line, and I was like, ‘What is that and how can I play that?’ They said, ‘Just chase the guy with the ball.’ That’s how I got started playing football.”
With his position decided, Latu quickly settled into his new role as the guy who chased down ball carriers. Playing at Los Osos High in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., it was clear that his natural talent would take him far. However, there were some kinks to workout at the beginning, primarily figuring out what to do and what not to do while on the field.
“I remember at our first practice, I was playing with the junior varsity/scout team and they threw us up against the starting offensive line,” Latu said. “I lined up and then just took off with my speed and just cleaned out the quarterback, and I did not know that you were supposed to stay away from him. I turned around and all of the offensive line and receivers were coming at me trying to fight me, and my coach came out screaming ‘Sailosi, you can’t do that!'”
“He pulled me off to the side, and in secret exclaimed, ‘That’s what I’m talking about! But you can’t do because the offense gets hurt about it.’ From there, I started to learn more about football and the concepts and started to fall in love with it.”
As Latu continued to play, the intricacies and technical aspects of the game clicked more and more, allowing him to become a well-rounded defensive tackle prospect entering his senior season. Latu attended Mt. San Antonio College and played two seasons at the junior college level before making the jump to Division I. In 2017, he signed with the Spartans and impressed the coaching staff immediately, especially his position coach, Joe Seumalo.
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
“Coach Joe told me when I first got here that I was going to have to beat out anybody that was in front of me,” Latu said. “Coming in, I didn’t really know who they had here playing the nose technique. Boogie Roberts and Bryson Bridges were playing the ends, so I just knew that I was going to come in and take that spot in the middle. That was my competition level. I knew that I had to be the starter and there was no one that could start in front of me. It was a different talent level from playing at Mt. San Antonio to the Division I level, but if you’re competitive enough, that level doesn’t matter.”
Latu did just as he said he would do and became the starting nose tackle by the end of the 2017 fall camp. He started all 12 games of the season and finished with 43 tackles on the year. He entered his senior season in 2018 with high hopes of playing well enough to get a look from the NFL at season’s end, but unfortunately, his year was cut short after an upper body injury sidelined him for the team’s final eight games.
Determined to not let his football career end on a sour note, Latu worked hard to rehab himself in an attempt to play one last season in 2019. He did his part and was ready to put the pads back on at the start of fall camp. However, one hurdle remained that was out of his control — he had to be granted another season of eligibility by the NCAA. It was a long wait, but in the days leading up to the season-opener against Northern Colorado, he got his answer.
“On that day, I wasn’t sure if I had gotten the waiver or not,” Latu said. “Coach Joe texted the news that I had gotten it in our defensive line group chat, but I didn’t get it at first. He called me later and told me that I had gotten my sixth year.”
“So, I showed up to the team meeting that day to see everyone, but the coaches told me to wait because they had something planned. Coach Brennan announced to the team that he had just signed a brand new player, and when they opened the door I came out and was like, “Let’s go!” And, everyone was going crazy. They really got me, too. They told me to introduce my name and where I was from and what position I played, but the only thing I could get out was, ‘My name is Sailosi Latu and I play for San Jose State University.’ That was it.”
With his waiver granted and all the hard work now paying off, Latu is back in the starting lineup and back to doing what he does best — chasing the guy with the ball.
