While he was lounging around the house one day, 10-year-old Penei Pavihi’s mother suggested he play a game.
That game turned out to be football.
“To be honest, I was forced to play football,” recalled Pavihi, now a University of Hawaii linebacker whose 19th birthday was on Wednesday. “I was sitting at home doing nothing. She forced me to play football. I guess I learned to love the game.”
In American Samoa, where Pavihi was born and reared, football is played on fields peppered with weeds, rocks and sharp objects. It is a sport played by people of perseverance, athleticism and callused skin.
“We don’t have many resources (in American Samoa) like they do here and on the mainland,” Pavihi said. “We work with what we have.”
Pavihi, who developed into a standout player at Tafuna High, turned down overtures from Washington State and Oregon State to sign with the Rainbow Warriors in February 2016. Now in his second UH season, Pavihi has become a hit man, filling gaps and treating running backs like pinatas.
“He’s played consistent all year long,” linebackers coach Mark Banker said of Pavihi. “And he’s doing a good job in meetings from a standpoint of the coaching points, the film, understanding the plays. A lot of times, for him, I don’t think he realizes his potential.”
Since spring training, Banker has worked with Pavihi on creating a split personality.
“He’s such a kind-hearted person, it spills over onto the field sometimes in practices, even in games,” Banker said. “We talked about it in the spring about having an alter ego, being this other guy once he gets between the lines. It has showed during the year at times. It did this past game.”
Against UNLV, Pavihi amassed 13 tackles, including a fourth-and-1 stop and a key sack. “That was the best game of his career,” head coach Nick Rolovich said.
Part of his performance was perspiration, part was inspiration. Before the game, Pavihi met with linebacker Jahlani Tavai, his mentor. A week earlier, Tavai underwent shoulder surgery in Los Angeles. Tavai traveled back to Honolulu for senior night.
“I really look up to him,” Pavihi said. “He’s a good person overall and a great teammate. He helped me throughout my college career so far.”
UNLV tried to widen its offense with jet sweeps, stretch plays and bootlegs. Pavihi, who is more of a north-south attacker, had to re-calibrate his compass to sack Armani Rogers, a long-striding quarterback who was trying to turn the corner.
“In practice, we emphasized chasing the near hip,” Pavihi said. “Practice makes perfect.”
Banker said: “When he wants to take over, he can do it. He’s heavy-handed when he needs to be, and plays with great pad level. He’s still learning the final details to his position. That power and explosiveness, he has to continue to grow with that.”
