The colors changed from green and white to blue and gold, and there were a few more people in the stands than what he remembered.
Other than that, it’s business as usual for former University of Hawaii and current UCLA linebacker Darius Muasau.
The 6-foot-1 senior, who said he wanted to test himself in a major conference like the Pac-12, was back to his normal ways on Saturday, totaling a game-high 10 tackles in a 32-31 win over South Alabama in Pasadena, Calif.
Playing at the Rose Bowl, which has a max capacity of more than 10 times what he played in front of during his final two seasons at UH, Muasau said the venue, and the colors of his uniform, are all that has really changed after he decided to transfer from UH last winter following a tumultuous junior season.
“Football is always the same. We have the same goal. (Defensively) there might be different coverages, but the end of the day, all I’m doing out there is playing ball,” the 2019 Mililani alumnus said in a phone interview Tuesday. “I don’t play for the home team anymore, but I’m now representing the 808 and trying to make everyone back home proud.”
That includes his former coaches at his alma mater, who were in town to watch Muasau, along with four other players who graduated from high school in Hawaii, suit up for the Bruins.
Mililani coach Rod York and the Trojans played in the Trinity League vs. USA Showcase on Friday night against defending national champion Mater Dei at Panish Family Stadium on the campus of St. John Bosco, which is roughly a 35-minute drive south of the Rose Bowl.
It was an early wake-up call the next morning for the team, which made it to the 11 a.m. kickoff to see the Bruins squeak out a win against the Jaguars.
Muasau had time to meet with the Mililani coaching staff and some of the players.
“He’s the same ol’ funny guy. It was nice seeing him,” Muasau said of York. “High school ball was probably one of my favorite times, being able to play the sport I love with my high school brothers that I grew up playing with.
“What I miss the most was playing in Mililani, in that stadium, in front of a packed crowd. You’re playing for something much bigger than yourself in high school. You’re playing for your family and your entire city, and that’s what I miss.”
Avid followers of University of Hawaii football know Muasau’s story. A two-star recruit whose only Division I offer came from UH, Muasau quickly became the focal point of the Hawaii defense. He was a two-time All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection and led the Rainbow Warriors with 109 tackles and seven sacks as a junior.
He was part of a mass exodus of players who left the team after last season, but said he was drawn to the West Coast to compete at a high level, which he ultimately hopes will help lead him to the NFL.
“Making it to the league is my dream, and I felt like playing here at UCLA would definitely help that,” Muasau said. “I’ve always felt like I could compete at the highest level. If I can do it at this level then I think I can prove that I can make it to the NFL. That’s what it’s about for me.”
After suffering five straight losing seasons, UCLA had a bounce-back year in 2021, finishing 8-4 and qualifying for the Holiday Bowl, which it ultimately had to pull out of due to COVID-19 issues.
The Bruins already had offensive lineman Duke Clemens (Punahou), defensive lineman Sitiveni-Havili Kaufusi (Punahou) and receiver Matt Sykes (Saint Louis) on their roster.
They added Muasau and UCF transfer Titus Mokiao-Atimala, a receiver who grew up playing with Muasau on the Ewa Beach Sabers.
“Our families are really close to each other too, and when we made the decision to commit here, we were both really excited,” Muasau said. “We’re roommates and we’re really in the same situation together, so during that whole time we stayed in contact and were both excited to end up at the same school.”
It’s the first time Muasau has lived on his own on the mainland. He’s not used to people not driving with aloha and has tried to expand his eating habits with all of the different kinds of food available in Los Angeles.
But there’s one thing he just can’t seem to get used to.
“People out here just eat potatoes all the time without any rice,” Muasau said incredulously. “It’s hard to find any good rice.”
Name: Darius Muasau
School: UCLA
Class: Senior
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 230 pounds
Position: Linebacker
High school: Mililani (2019)
