The Hawaii football team’s starting slotback is an aspiring fashion designer, posts workout videos on his YouTube channel, and learned the haka … in North Texas?

“We have a huge Polynesian culture out there,” said Pofele Ashlock, a graduate of Trinity High, where the football team has performed a pre-game haka for nearly 20 years.

Ahead of his sophomore year, Ashlock, who is a mix of Tongan and African American, moved to Euless, Texas. In the 1970s, many Tongan families relocated to Euless because of the job opportunities with American Airlines. Euless is five miles from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. There are more than 3,000 people of Tongan ancestry living in Euless.

“American Airlines is a popular job for us Tongans out there because Euless is right by the airport,” Ashlock said. “Most of our community is right by the airport. Driving and getting to work is easier for us. It leads to all the kids going to Trinity.”

Ashlock was a two-way player who eventually decided to play exclusively on offense as a Trinity junior. “I moved to receiver when I learned the art of route running, just playing mind games with the defender,” Ashlock said. “On the other side of the ball, you, as the defender, constantly had to figure out what the receiver was doing. For me, it was the offense’s side of playing with (a defender’s) head that I liked the most about football.”

Ashlock, who is 6 feet 2 and 175 pounds, was a scout wideout while redshirting in 2022. In the spring, he joined the space age, moving to slot receiver — and into the rotation.

“It’s a lot more space for me to work with,” said Ashlock, who can run crossing and deep routes against nickelbacks and linebackers. “For my ability, I truly feel going to the inside and moving around is my best asset.”

During training camp, Ashlock dazzled with his precise routes, acceleration and flypaper hands. He often was misidentified because of a wardrobe malfunction. On the back of his No. 86 jersey, the “6” was peeling.

“It was flapping when I ran,” said Ashlock, who decided to 86 the 6. “I had to rip it off. Now I’m just 8 (on the back) and 86 (on the front).”

Now Ashlock has ascended to No. 1 slotback in the Warriors’ four-wide offense.

Next Wednesday, he is planning to launch a line of “Free the Mind” T-shirts.

Ashlock said the brand’s name is derived from the “understanding you have a mind of your own. Nobody should ever take control of what you have inside your brain. Whatever you have inside your brain is going to become your reality.”

Ashlock said he began football tutorials on YouTube to offer tips to youths who cannot afford to pay for training.

“Some people don’t have the money for training,” he said. “But there’s free training on the internet. Anybody who taps into the videos is getting free training from me. All I want to do is help the youths.”