15-year-old Crusader Tuitele honored by Rolo’s UH offer

Saint Louis School freshman Faatuiolemotu “Tui” Tuitele is too young to receive a provisional Hawaii driver’s license.

But Tuitele is the only 15-year-old currently with a scholarship offer from the University of Hawaii football team. His high school graduation is set for May 2019. (The Warriors recently offered a scholarship to 14-year-old Noah Sewell, an eighth-grader at Desert Hills Middle School in St. George, Utah.)

“It’s a big honor,” said Tuitele, who received the offer from UH head coach Nick Rolovich. “I’ve grown up in Kalihi, the projects, and my family and I really didn’t have anything growing up. To get this offer, it’s really big for my family and I.”

Tuitele, who is 6 feet 3 and 270 pounds, played on the defensive line for Saint Louis’ junior-varsity team in 2015. With only three ILH junior-varsity teams, the Crusaders’ regular season was limited to four games. But Tuitele’s strength, agility and intelligence caught the Rainbow Warriors’ attention. He will play for the varsity in the fall.

Tuitele also is excelling in the classroom. His grade-point averages this academic year are: 4.1 in the first quarter, 4.0 in the second, 4.1 in the third, and 4.1 this quarter.

“I’m very determined every day I go to school,” Tuitele said. “My motivation is my family. I want to do my best because they’ve given me their best. I want to give back to them.”

Tuitele has grown up in Mayor Wright Housing, an area he claims is “surrounded by drugs, violence, gangs.”

He added: “That’s when I fell in love with football. I didn’t want to get involved in all the negative stuff. Football was my way out. I took things seriously. That’s my motivation every day to go to school.”

He said scholarships and financial aid contribute to his tuition payments at Saint Louis. “My parents are paying for the rest,” Tuitele said.

Tuitele said he finds inspiration from Al Noga, a former UH football player who was inducted into UH’s Circle of Honor two years ago. Noga also was raised in a Kalihi housing project.

“He was one of my idols growing up,” said Tuitele, who was born two years after Noga played his final professional game. “I watched his videos on YouTube. He was a beast on the field. Watching the UH games on TV growing up, it was always a dream to play for UH. When I got this offer, it was a blessing for me.”

Tuitele will have to wait until Feb. 6, 2019, to sign a letter of intent with an NCAA football team.