Big Motekiai signs-on for BYU gridiron [1]
Friday, February 6, 2015 - 14:24. Updated on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 - 10:50.
By Finau Fonua
Tonga High School ex-student Motekiai Langi (18) from Kahoua, has been signed to play American football for Brigham Young University (BYU) in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Despite his gridiron inexperience, the teenager’s 6’7” and 186 kilos size was enough to land him a scholarship at BYU.
Motekiai’s only known gridiron match was the Kingdom Bowl exhibition played at Teufaiva Stadium last year in June. The Kingdom Bowl 2014 was an exhibition match that featured two teams consisting mainly of local high school students and some visitors. The event was organised by the Tongan diaspora in the United States to promote American Football in Tonga. It was the first American Football game played at Tonga’s national stadium since 2003.
Motekiai was an eye catcher at the game as he was almost twice the size of most the boys on the field. His team “Vahe ‘Uta” (Liahona, 'Atele, Toloa, Takuilau) were defeated 16 – 8 by “Vahe Kolo” ('Apifo'ou, Tailulu, Tonga High, Lavengamalie, St. Andrew, Tupou High).
There is growing presence of Tongans in Professional American Football. Last year, there were 21 Tongans enlisted by teams in the NFL. In last week’s Super Bowl final of the NFL, there were two Tongans playing for the losing Seattle Seahawks, Will Tukuafu and Tony Moeaki.