This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • The mountains are snowcapped in the background of Timpview High School when senior receiver Samson Nacua rounds the corner of the football complex. The temperature hovering near freezing, he's wrapped in a blanket, wearing athletic shorts and long white socks.
His attire, however, hardly demands as much attention as his disheveled hairdo. The Thunderbirds, who will attempt to win their fourth consecutive Class 4A title against East on Friday, traditionally bleach their hair blonde for the postseason.
Nacua is taking the process to the next level.
"A rainbow," described Nacua when asked what his hair will resemble when he takes the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday at 6:30 p.m. "Just a bunch of colors with stripes all over. [Last year] I did red, white and blue, and this year I wanted to top that."
Nacua's flamboyant personality translates to the gridiron. He's corralled 55 receptions for 1,223 yards and nine touchdowns this season with his 6-foot-3 frame, precise route-running ability and speed to burn. He has all the intangibles to play at the next level, but until Weber State reached out this past weekend, he hadn't received one collegiate offer, as programs dealt with concern about his academic eligibility.
Nacua is no dummy, though. The story to his struggles in the classroom can be told through celebration. Each time Nacua reaches the end zone, he flexes both arms, exposing the name "Lionel" and the number sequence "5-14-12," representing the date he lost his father to diabetes.
"It destroyed me when he passed away," Nacua says, with tenderness in his tone. "I totally went under. I stopped caring for a lot of things. I didn't really care to play sports anymore. I gave up."
Nacua quit playing football his freshman season — it reminded him too much of his father, who had coached him his entire life. He stopped attending class and certainly didn't bother completing homework assignments. He'd spend days and nights, alone, watching television and slipping deeper into depression.
"I didn't talk to anyone," Nacua explains.
When his family relocated to Utah from Las Vegas during his sophomore year, his older brothers, Kai, who plays at BYU, and Isaiah convinced him to give football another opportunity.
"That's what my dad would want me to do," Nacua says. "I wasn't too strong into football; I didn't really care. My junior and senior year, I've [gotten] into it a lot — I love it. Now I'm trying to pick up what I messed up on."
Nacua says he's on track to graduate with all NCAA requirements, "as long as I pass every class this year," which he's confident he will.
"I was so disappointed in myself," Nacua says. "Now, looking back, I know my dad was very disappointed in me. I'm trying to represent him better and do better for myself, too."
Now he's using football to heal because when he's on the field, he feels his father's presence the most.
"I still struggle daily with depression a lot. No one really knows because I put on a good smile and try to walk through the pain," says Nacua, noting when he reaches dark stages, he looks at pictures of his father and reminisces. "I'm not really good at opening up and talking to people, but I'm trying little by little every day."
Nacua says he recently received a message from Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, the brother of his high school coach, Cary, which invited him to watch the Utes host UCLA on Saturday afternoon. He believes an offer from Utah is on the horizon. Nacua would commit immediately to join best friend Britain Covey on campus, he says, but when asked where he envisioned he'd be in five years — his answer illustrated his growth.
"Hopefully I have my degree by then," Nacua said. "I messed around so much, I feel like I need to get back into schooling and get my degree."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
About Samson Nacua
• He's totaled 97 receptions for 1,864 yards and 17 touchdowns the past two seasons.
• Until this past weekend he had yet to receive one college offer, as programs considered his academic eligibility.
• Nacua gave up on school and football for a time after his father died of diabetes in 2012. He's since used football to escape his depression and re-establish his dedication in the classroom. —
Class 4A championship
East vs. Timpview, at Rice-Eccles Stadium
Friday, 6:30 p.m.
TV • KJZZ