Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1508482
12 CAVALIER CORNER BY JIM DAVES V irginia graduate student center Brian Stevens knows the perfect term to describe Cavalier defensive tackle Aaron Faumui. The two fre- quently went head-to-head during fall camp when Stevens worked primarily at right guard. "He is a true competitor, he's a trench warrior," Stevens said. "You get all sorts of things thrown at you when you play that position. You're getting double-team blocks, you're getting two 300-pound guys blocking you from different angles. "It's a tough, tough job, what Aaron has to do." Facing challenges is nothing new to Fau- mui. Situations like that have been a big part of his story at UVA. It all started when he was a standout in Honolulu at Kapolei High School. He had the opportunity to stay on Oahu and play for the hometown Hawai'i Rainbows or travel to the West Coast and compete for a school that competes in the Pacific time zone. But Faumui also had interest from Vir- ginia under former head coach Bronco Mendenhall. His staff had a trio of assistant coaches — Robert Anae, Vic So'oto and Mark Atuaia — who were Samoan and had strong recruiting ties in Hawai'i. "Honestly, I had never heard of UVA and didn't know it even had a football team," Faumui said with a laugh. "The furthest school I heard of was probably Georgia or Alabama. I never knew any other East Coast or southern teams." Faumui decided to accept UVA's invitation to take the longest trip of his life. After more than 4,700 air miles, a trip that took more than 15 hours, he found himself in the mid- dle of Virginia He quickly fell for Grounds and all of its surroundings. "By the time I got my offer, I knew a lot more about Virginia, and I just thought it was very cool," he said, "and I was very ex- cited for my visit." 'CULTURE SHOCK' Faumui was one of four players from Hawai'i who joined the Cavaliers in 2018. Wayne Taulapapa had a successful career at running back while defensive end Samson Reed and offensive lineman Micah Mariter- agi never managed to see significant playing time at Virginia. Faumui had an immediate presence on the UVA defense. He appeared in 12 of 13 games and started four times in 2018. An all-state selection in Hawai'i, he had 7 tack- les, forced a fumble and recorded a sack as a true first-year to help the Hoos post an 8-5 record that included a 28-0 shutout win against South Carolina in the Belk Bowl. It was a difficult first year for Faumui. He struggled to fit into his new surroundings and the rigors of a top academic setting. He knew there were whispers back in Oahu that he was in over his head. "I'm not gonna lie, when I first got here, I didn't believe in myself," Faumui said, "just being in school for a couple of weeks, the first weeks. I just thought it was extremely hard. I thought it was impossible. "But I dug deep, and I found my 'why.'" That "why" was, according to Faumui, "My family. My mom, my dad, my siblings, just being from Hawai'i. It motivated me every day to get out of bed to go to practice, to work. Every day I found my why to step out of my comfort zone and to adapt to a whole new culture. "It was a big culture shock when I first got out here, but I adapted. I trusted the pro- cess with the staff, with the tutors and the mentors. And it paid off." Academic challenges and playing at the top level of college football as a true first- year were huge hurdles. But coming from a culture where family is the most important thing was almost overwhelming. "I was very homesick when I first got here," Faumui said. "But what made it comfortable was we had the other players and some TRENCH TRENCH WARRIOR WARRIOR Sixth-Year Tackle Aaron Faumui Is An Unsung Hero For The UVA Defense Through four games this season and 52 in his career, Faumui had made 112 career stops with 22 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. (Photo by Pete Emerson/courtesy UVA)