After spending the last four years at the University of Hawaii, the 23-year old running back from Kailua, HI, looked into his options in the National Football League and even the Canadian Football League. Thanks to a tip from a friend, he recently signed with Finland’s Hämeenlinna Huskies for the 2018 season.
“Some teammates of mine told me that there were competitive pro football leagues in Europe,” Tuiasoa said. “After looking into it, I got excited with the idea of being able to go and experience new cultures in countries I never would have been able to go to otherwise while also continuing to build my resume and put more football on film.”
Tuiasoa earned second-team all-state honors in 2013 as a senior at Punahou School in Honolulu. He then attended Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where he played in two games before suffering a season-ending injury.
He transferred to Hawaii for the 2014 season and after a redshirt year, he finished his career with the Rainbow Warriors. In 39 games, Tuiasoa carried the football 39 times for 378 yards and averaged 9.7 yards per carry. He also scored five touchdowns and excelled on the Hawaii special teams.
Tuiasoa plans to bring the same blue-collar attitude that helped him thrive in high school and college to his new team.
“Coming to Europe, I bring experience playing at the Division I level of football in college,” he said. “More than just my play on the field though, I am a hard worker and a student of the game. I believe that my experiences in college surrounded by talented players and good coaches will allow me to help develop the players on my new team and increase everybody’s game.”
While he expects a learning curve as he settles into his new surroundings, Tuiasoa plans to do whatever it takes to excel in Finland.
“I’m shooting for the top and to have an immediate impact while making a name for myself,” he said. “Football is a team game though, so more than anything else, my biggest goal is to help whatever team I play for win the championship in their league.”
He also doesn’t expect anything to be handed to him simply because he has Division I college experience or grew up playing American football. He’s used to battling every day to earn a spot on the field.
Yet, his work resulted in a scholarship at Hawaii and he finished as the second leading rusher on the team.
“Playing in Division I can be tough because there are so many top tier athletes at every position on every team, so my entire career was spent fighting for playing time and having to share carries as the second back once I was seeing the field,” he said. “I did have some success but it was not the kind of success I had in high school or the success that I felt I could have. I’m looking to use this opportunity to showcase my talent against the top players in Europe.”
His teammates and coaches in Hämeenlinna shouldn’t expect anything different.
“I am extremely competitive in anything I do, but just being a good player yourself isn’t enough,” Tuiasoa said. “I want to do my best to help everyone around me and the more you get along and can develop trust and friendship with your teammates, the better the whole team will be.”
Tuiasoa, who also excelled in track and field at Punahou School, isn’t sure what to expect when he arrives in Finland but he’ll take it all in stride and focus on the reason he’s in the country.
“I don’t know a whole lot of what to expect from playing overseas,” he said. “The way I see it, if I approach every situation with an open mind and my best attitude every day then I can only get the best outcome possible for any situation and the whole team should benefit from it. Being from a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Europe is about as far away and as different a place as it gets for me. I’m looking forward to just embracing everything the new culture and people have.”
Regardless of what happens in Finland, Tuiasoa is excited about his future.
“I’m leaving an open mind about what is to come,” he said. “I like the idea that if I ball out bigger opportunities could come my way down the road and it gives me something to stay hungry and motivated for. But, if that is not what is going to happen, I’m just enjoying the ride because it is such an amazing opportunity to be able to travel across the world, meet new people, share culture and help to grow the amazing game of football in a foreign country all while playing the game I love. It’s a win-win situation for me and no matter what happens it’s a life experience that will only benefit me and help me to grow in the long run.”
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