This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It's hasn't been easy for Sunia Tauteoli to see Utah State play this fall.
"I would have been playing right now," he said. "I watch the TV and I'm like, 'Man.' It kills me."
Even though he will be just a sophomore in 2015, Tauteoli has already been waiting a long while for his opportunity, and he's going to have to wait a little longer before he can become a linebacker at the U.
He graduated from East High in 2009 — in the same class as Utah defensive tackle Stevie Tu'ikolovatu — and served an LDS mission in Houston. He walked on at Snow in 2013 and as a freshman racked up 92 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and an interception — as well as 52 credit hours.
He initially chose to attend Utah State over offers from Utah and Arizona State. Utah State head coach Matt Wells is quoted in February's signing day news release as saying Tauteoli "will come into the program and contribute very quickly," but Tauteoli said he changed his mind after feeling pressure from Utah State to finish his associate degree this summer and become immediately eligible to play in 2014.
He was just plain worn out. As one of nine siblings and with one sister having a new family and another about to leave for a mission to Thailand, he felt the need to help support them and his parents. So instead of cranking out enough credits to make it to Logan for fall camp, he worked two jobs and enrolled at Salt Lake Community College to finish his coursework this fall.
Tauteoli is a youth adviser at the Salt Lake Valley Detention Center, working with troubled youth 13-21.
"That's something that makes me happy, taking in these youth and showing them a better way," he said. "It's pretty rewarding. If you want to be rich, this is not the field to get into, but it's rich in its own way."
He plans to enroll at Utah in January and be eligible for spring ball. This year will serve as his redshirt year, and he will have three years to play three seasons starting in fall 2015.
Tauteoli said the U. runs the same defense as Snow College, and when he sat down with defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake on a visit in January, Sitake showed him some tape of Utah's linebackers and asked if he felt he could measure up.
"I see myself having a chance," Tauteoli said. "I feel like I can compete with these guys."
He said he plans to become a business major, but he's still not totally sure what he wants to do.
"I just know I want to help some people in an impactful way," he said.
— Matthew Piper
Twitter: @matthew_piper