Oct. 14, 2003

Editor's Note: This feature ran in the Oct. 11 edition of the Mizzou football gameday program.

by Jessica Poole

Missouri linebacker Mau Uiagalelei never really liked football when he was a kid. Growing up in Pomona, Calif., he was really more of a basketball player, but his older brothers changed that.

"I was always involved in sports ever since I was little, and really enjoyed playing basketball," Uiagalelei said. "But when my brothers began playing football, I had to follow in their footsteps."

Uiagalelei comes to Missouri by way of Mount St. Antonio [Calif.] Junior College. During his two years in the JUCO ranks, he garnered several accolades, including first team all-conference and best lineman. After spending two years at Mount St. Antonio, he was ready to make the switch to Division I football.

"I was being recruited by some other schools from the Big 12 but when I came on my visit to Missouri, something stood out about the program and the people involved that made me want to be a part of the program here," Uiagalelei said. "The environment here is awesome and while the coaches have a passion about winning, they're also personal with their players. That's what really stood out about the program."

The players and the relationships that he has formed here at Missouri are also very important to him.

"James Kinney was my host when I came on my visit," remembered Uiagalelei. "He really made me feel like I was at home on my visit. When I went out with the team, it was almost as if I was at home hanging out with my brothers. The guys on the team are real good guys. I've really bonded with Alex Pettersen, I would claim him as my brother any day."

The switch from JUCO to Division I football wasn't the only change that Uiagalelei made at that time, he was also a Californian living in the heart of the Midwest.

"When I came here, I really wasn't used to the lack of diversity. Where I'm from in Southern California it's so diverse. At my high school there were more blacks and Mexicans than whites, but that's not a knock against Missouri. I'm just used to a different environment."

It was a season of changes for Uiagalelei, while making the transition from the West coast to the Midwest, and switching from JUCO football to Division I, he was also more than 1,000 miles away from his family and family is very important to him.

"Being the youngest boy out of five boys and one girl really makes you appreciate the value and importance of family," he said.

"I am extremely close with my family. I didn't really hang out with my friends that much when I was growing up, I mainly just hung out with my brothers."

In fact, when it came time to make the switch from JUCO to Division I football, it was family that helped him make the decision to come to Missouri. Uiagalelei recalled his brothers explaining how the transition would be from Mt. St. Antonio to Missouri.

"My two older brothers that played Division I football told me that it wasn't going to be fun, meaning it was going to be more like a job than anything else."

When looking back on his experience at Mt. St. Antonio and his experience here at Missouri, he can pinpoint the biggest difference between the two - discipline.

"When I came here, I was really aware of the difference in discipline. Here everything is organized and disciplined from the time you step on the practice field to the time you show up for study hall."

When looking back on his time here at Missouri, Uiagalelei recalls fond memories of the overtime game against Texas A&M last year. The game held significance for him because A&M was one of the other Big 12 schools that was interested in him.

"That game was, in a word, indescribable," he recalled. "The week before we went there, they had beaten Oklahoma and they came into the game taking us lightly because we hadn't been winning. When that game went into overtime and we hit that winning field goal, in their house, in front of their fans, it was a huge moment for me personally and also for our team."

When Uiagalelei isn't playing football, you can find him in one of two places - either a piano room somewhere on campus or in the Student Recreation Center playing basketball.

"Football doesn't leave me with much downtime, but the little time I do have, I enjoy making music and also playing basketball."

From the looks of the 6-foot-3, 234-pound linebacker you wouldn't really expect music to be one of his passions but he is an exception with music in his blood. He isn't the only member of the Uiagalelei family that is musically talented. His younger sister has aspirations of being a singer and the entire family grew up singing in the church choir.

"We grew up in a family in which church was important and that's where we got our start with music. I couldn't imagine not having music as a part of my life, it gets me through stuff."

Not only is his immediate family musically inclined, much of his extended football family is also musically inclined.

"When I'm in the mood to make music or do something musical, I can always count on some of my teammates to be right with me," he admitted. "It's usually Tyrone Roberson or Tony Palmer. We all grew up singing in our church choirs."

In his final season here at Missouri, Uiagalelei wants to help the program as much as he can.

"I'm willing to do anything my teammates and coaching staff ask me to do. I want to contribute in any way I can."

Uiagalelei plans to graduate in May with a degree in general studies, and go back to California to start a teaching and coaching career.

"Home is where my family is, and that's where I belong."