A mother’s motivation

Each morning in his off-campus apartment, Penitito Faalologo drops to his knees and prays for strength.

He does not ask for physical strength. Faalologo, a nose tackle for the Hawaii football team, already can bench press 405 pounds three times in a row and squat-lift 625 pounds, even with a tender shoulder.

The past few years, he has prayed for the strength to fulfill his late mother’s wishes. Toetu Faalologo wanted her son to go to Hawaii, play football and earn a college degree.

Before that, he sought the strength to serve Aua, his village in central American Samoa. That meant working to exhaustion on the family’s farm, where the harvested taro would contribute to the village’s daily potluck. In Aua, where doors are unlocked, everything is shared.

"You can jump from house to house" for a meal, Faalologo said.

Each April 17 is Flag Day, the anniversary of American Samoa becoming a U.S. territory, and is celebrated with the Fautasi Races. Each village enters a long canoe that seats up to 50 paddlers. The 5-mile race requires endurance, cohesiveness and, yes, strength. Faalologo has represented Aua.

Faalologo has two nicknames — Kiko, which is a word play on his first name, and Auauna, which roughly translates to "servant to the family or church." He said he was raised to be humble and help others. It also appears he was raised to play nose tackle.

"You get smacked every play," said Faalologo, who is required to outduel a blocker or stand his ground — holding the point — against double teams.

The natural instinct is to abandon his small assigned area and pursue the ballcarrier. But Faalologo is the diversion, drawing blockers to open the way for swooping linebackers or ends to make the tackle. Like most nose tackles, recognition comes during defensive-line meetings. That’s enough credit for Faalologo.

"If you do your job, and some other people make the play, you’ll be happy," Faalologo said. "It’s all about the team."

But Faalologo nearly did not become a Rainbow Warrior. He signed a letter of intent in February 2011 with the intent of joining UH the following January.

But two days before his Fagaitua High graduation, his mother died. Although she had been sick for a while, Faalologo said, "It was really hard. I couldn’t focus.’

He traveled to Western Samoa for his mother’s burial, then stayed there for two months before returning to American Samoa.

"I didn’t want to do anything," Faalologo said. "I just wanted to stay with family."

He was granted permission to delay enrolling at UH another year.

He eventually found his way out from the dark cloud.

"I’m doing this for her," he recalled thinking. "I made her that promise. She really wanted me to go (to UH). She looked forward to me going here and then coming back to visit her. It didn’t work out."

Although recruited as a linebacker, he was immediately assigned to defensive line. At 5 feet 11, he gained 25 pounds, reaching 275 pounds. Then he was moved to fullback in 2013, when he redshirted, and dropped to 260 pounds. He moved to defensive tackle in 2014, necessitating another weight gain. He now weighs 290.

Faalologo is the No. 1 nose tackle. He has found a set routine — and peace.

"I always keep her in my prayers," Faalologo said of his mother. "I know she’s looking down at me, protecting me. It motivates me. It keeps me going just to think about her."