Media Q&A with Freshman Sio Nofoagatoto'a

Photo: Scott Chinchar/Clearwater International Academy)

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

As the incoming freshmen come into Bloomington, Indiana has made them available to the media. Last week Ken Bikoff of Peegs.com and other members of the media sat down with Sio Nofoagatoto’a. Here is the transcript of their interview. I want to thank Ken for allowing us access to his video.

On what the players are doing right now

“Well, we have player practices right now and just working under Juan Harris and some of the other seniors. They really help me just focus on the little details of my technique and I feel like that has really helped me a lot. And then just being able to see the stuff that the d-linemen have done over the past years and kind of watch film on it, that really helped me kind of work on my game.”

On whether its feet or hand placement

“Kind of like hand placement. That’s really where I am focusing at. Just coming from a high school level, I would say I just over powered guys, so my technique, hand placement wasn’t really a focus, but then you come in and see the o-line at Indiana and you can’t really just say you’re going to overpower them. So technique really helps.”

On the expectation he has to play as a true freshman

“I would say personally that there is definitely an opportunity just with how many guys we graduated in the middle and just how many guys we lost including the transfer that we had. Just seeing, I feel personally with my size as a freshman I could at least get in the rotation. That is kind of my goal for the season is just to get into the rotation and work under Juan (Harris).

On How much it helps having D.K. Bonhomme at IU

“With the recruiting, it definitely helped. I came on my visit first and I had a great feeling. I wanted to commit right after, but I just wanted to take another visit or two to just compare. Then when D.K. (Bonhomme) came to visit, I took it during the week and he took it during the weekend, and he called me right after his visit and he was like ‘yeah, we need to come here. This is the place’. With someone you trust so much having the same feeling was kind of like no question, we have to, Indiana is our home.

What clicked on his visit (Couldn’t make out the question well)

“Just coming in with the coaches and stuff, especially with me being an international student and not having my family here, it just felt like home. Especially with Indiana, the trees and stuff, it just reminded me of the island. Compared to some of the city schools that recruited me, like the traffic and stuff that wasn’t the best. As soon as I came on campus, everyone has been so close knit and just all the players, they have been so helpful to me, but I definitely know I made the right choice.

On his first impressions so far at IU

“I think something that really stands out to me is just the team. Everybody is so close. I know in high school everyone is close and for college football it might be a little bit different, you have 100+ players. Offense and defense aren’t always together and everyone has got different schedules, but everyone is just so close. Just seeing the close knit family. I understand that trickles down from coach Allen and the coaches just preaching that and then just everyone being together. That has been something that stood out to me the most.

On the history of NFL players from American Samoa

“It’s definitely something like, ‘oh you’re Samoan, there are a lot of Samoans in the NFL’. I kind of use that as motivation because back home there is not much to do. Out of high school, you either go play college ball or you join the army. With the minimum wage, it’s like five dollars or less so kind of going to college football or joining the army is your way out so, especially playing D-I college football and getting a scholarship it really meant a lot to me.”

Do you look up to any Samoan player?

“Yeah, every Samoan player, especially Troy Polamalu, like the famous ones. They kind of set the path for us and are like the forerunners for us as people and them giving back to the community and giving the kids who are next up better opportunities. Growing up, playing youth football, some of our players didn’t have shoes and we had to share helmets. We used practice jerseys as game jerseys in high school. Just seeing that and then coming here, it’s just a big motivation for the next generation.

On being excited for the season (Couldn’t make out the question well)

“Coming in the first day and getting all the gear, it felt like Christmas. Growing up it was like you have one pair of shoes and then if someone on offense needed your shoes then you’d give it to them and then when you’re on defense you’d give it to them. It just seemed like, all the resources we have, I feel like there is no excuse to not be successful and use these  resources. So, it’s been something that I haven’t experienced in life, so it’s been good.