Sometimes, knowing adversity can make a man’s skin that much thicker.

Or it can broaden his compassion. For Tama Uiliata, the depth of physical pain grew his love for life. In 2017, Uiliata was a seventh grader enjoying the carefree life of a kid playing football year-round.

“We played on the same outside league team, same Pylon team. He’s the same now as he was back then. Playful, energetic, humble and very competitive,” teammate Rome Tagata said.

Uiliata woke up one morning with an indescribable pain in his left calf.

“My legs were fat and I woke up crying. I couldn’t move it. I had an infection. They took it out, drained it. I was going to get cleared, but I couldn’t walk, still. Then there was an infection in my other calf,” Uiliata recalled.

He still doesn’t know what caused it.

“I think I stepped on something like a rusted nail,” he said.

It was the summer before eighth grade. Uiliata found himself without all the freedom he had enjoyed.

“The doctor said if I came in a day later, it could’ve been to the point where they couldn’t do anything to save my legs,” he said.

Four weeks later, he began to learn how to walk again. The pain was still there through seventh and eighth grades. When he started attending Waipahu High School in ninth grade, the pain still lingered, but his dream of playing football was alive.

“My mom (Crystal Amisone) and my dad (OJ Uiliata) took care of me every day. It was really painful. My left calf was really skinny. When I was running and conditioning, I had major shin splints. I really couldn’t extend my legs,” he said. “I was supposed to quit, but I came back. The pain was still there, but not as much as the beginning. I was taking Tylenol.”

Uiliata persevered — and grew. He was a 5-foot-3, 105-pound freshman. Now, he is a 5-10, 175-pound senior and one of the main reasons why No. 8-ranked Waipahu is atop the OIA Division I football standings at 5-0 (6-1 overall).

The ultimate reminder of how much he loves the game, his team, his family, is right there wherever he is.

“The scar goes inside like a hole in my calf. When I stretch now, I can feel the skin pulling into the hole. The scar is supposed to come out, but it’s been forever already. It’s very tense,” Uiliata said.

Coach Bryson Carvalho didn’t hear about the health issue until last year.

“The first time I saw Tama play was his freshman year. He was a great player for our JV team. I actually did not know about (the leg infections) until last year when I saw a scar on his calf muscle. He told me about how it was a serious deal,” Carvalho said. “He never had a sophomore season due to COVID. His junior season was just five games, so it was a little different process building a relationship with the kids. Everything made the season feel so rushed. I’m thrilled that we can get back to doing things the way we used to.”

The numbers are magnificent on their own for a wide receiver-turned-cornerback-turned-quarterback. As a pass catcher, Uiliata has 50 receptions for 736 yards and eight TDs, all in the first six games with the exception of a 28-yard catch against Castle.

“From day one, Tama gave our offense the confidence and swag I look for as an offensive coordinator,” Carvalho said. “He provided a huge spark for our offense at receiver as he took over every game he played, eventually double-covered at some point.”

With 474 passing yards, five TD tosses and no interceptions in 40 attempts, he has been explosive with his arm — and accurate. Uiliata has completed 75% of his throws. With a small sample size, his passer rating of 215.8 is almost off the charts.

But it’s the leg work that makes him and Waipahu’s offense a tough draw. Uiliata has rushed for 202 yards and four TDs on just 16 carries. That is 12.6 yards per rushing attempt and 11.9 yards per pass attempt.

Sustainable? Perhaps not, but compared to where he was just five years ago, it’s a minor miracle. Back in 2017, when he could barely walk, Uiliata refused to be passive.

“I used to do 100 calf raises every day. I guess it worked,” he said. “I just tried to eat a lot. I was kind of short, so I tried to turn everything into muscle.”

One of his inspirations was Liatama Amisone, his grandfather.

“My papa was ripped and he never touched a single weight. Jogging, push-ups, sit-ups. He was a very strong guy,” Uiliata said.

But during Uiliata’s sophomore year, as the pandemic kept schools and sports locked down, papa’s health declined. With his parents busy working, Uiliata stepped up.

“It was virtual learning and I couldn’t really focus on school. I was helping my papa around the house, carrying him and helping him with his cane. My younger brothers were too young to help,” he said.

Liatama Amisone, 81, never got to see grandsons Tama Uiliata and Tama Amisone — Kapolei’s sophomore quarterback — play this year. He died in January.

“He would come to my games. My freshman season, he came to my game against Moanalua. I had two picks,” Uiliata said. “He made the best pancakes. Banana pancakes. Strawberry pancakes. We tried making it, but nobody can. I wish I could talk to him again.”

When football returned in the fall of 2021, Uiliata gave the team something it needed.

“The whole offseason I was training for receiver, but I saw our defense was lacking some aspects. I felt like the team needed a corner,” he said.

This fall, he returned to offense and racked up some outrageous numbers for the Marauders. Despite the pandemic, playing defense as a junior, Uiliata already has the school’s third-most receiving yards in one game — 238 yards against Leilehua.

When Waipahu met Roosevelt two weeks ago, quarterback Joshua Manu went down with a season-ending injury. Uiliata was moved immediately from wideout to the pocket. Roosevelt hung tough for a half before Waipahu caught fire in a 59-24 win.

“The first play, our quarterback got injured. At practice that week, I was the scout offense quarterback. Roosevelt has a scrambling QB (Kayman Lewis),” Uiliata said. “Our defensive coaches drew the (Roosevelt) plays on a binder.”

That mobility and twitchiness was good preparation for Waipahu’s defense, which shut out an explosive Roosevelt offense in the second half.

“I looked in his eyes and asked him, ‘You good?’ The look he gave me was so reassuring, so confident,” Carvalho said. “We punted on that first series and I scrapped my script of plays. We readjusted the calls to fit Tama and we never looked back.”

Last week, the Marauders routed a tough Castle squad, 60-13. The playbook is somewhat different with Uiliata at the controls.

“Joshua and I have similar playing styles, but we know what we can do. He can stay in the pocket more and throw, and I’ll get out and run the ball more,” Uiliata said.

“I don’t really throw that many balls, so that’s what I’m working on. I have those moments here and there where I could run more, but I try not to. I know that if I get injured, we might lose the same impact,” Uiliata said.

In Uiliata’s two games at QB, Waipahu has its highest single-game scoring outputs since 2017.

“I remember him as a backup quarterback last year, but he’s so much better this year. He built that confidence,” Aiea coach Wendell Say said.

Currently ranked 10th, Aiea lost a thriller to Waipahu, 20-14, three weeks ago.

“He reminds me a lot of Lofa Liilii. (Uiliata) could play any skill position and play it well. Lofa was the same way for us. Wide receiver, running back, backup quarterback. This boy’s the same thing, size-wise. A lot of quickness,” Say said.

Waipahu’s balanced offense with Manu has gone from roughly 30 pass attempts per game to 20 with Uiliata. Running backs Anieli Talaleai (446 yards, seven TDs) and Braeden Togafau (260, four) are more crucial than ever.

So is the Waipahu defense, which has allowed just 11.6 points per game in league play. The bond goes beyond a few players, and it keeps growing stronger.

“I feel like our team is on a really good path now. We put in work day in, day out. Nobody slacks. The mind-set is we just want to win. Bringing that mind-set uplifts everyone, including the coaches,” Uiliata said. “The players’ attitudes influence everyone there. We have the love for the sport.”

Tagata, a running back, is part of a Waipahu tradition built on trust and support.

“What makes Tama a good friend is that he tries to look out for everyone, helps anyone in need. Just always brings positive energy to anyone,” he said. “That’s why he’s such a good friend, because he’s a good person.”

Uiliata is comfortable as a son, a brother, a teammate. A grandson.

“My Uiliata and Amisone families, they give me their love and endless support,” he said. “They’re always just there. We had a game at Castle. It’s far and late at night. I said, it’s OK. But they said, ‘No, we want to come and support.’ That always comforts me. Calling me, making sure if I need a ride. They’re big, impacting my life. They taught me how to care for people, to be mindful. Nobody’s perfect. It’s good to uplift somebody, being a positive vibe.”

Uiliata is hoping to play at a junior college next year.

“I think Tama is a slot/receiver at the next level. His smarts at finding holes in coverage along with his catching ability and athleticism make him extremely hard to defend,” Carvalho said. “He studies film and will make sure he scouts whoever he goes against to gain the upper hand. He comes to me with ideas, which I love. He’s proven to be a remarkable safety on defense, as well. He is so respectful, so hard-working, so humble and so confident. I love that kid as I do all that play for us and I pray God bless his future abundantly.”

Tama Uiliata

Waipahu football Wide receiver/defensive back/quarterback 5-10, 175, Senior

>> Favorite shows: “Friday,” “Rush Hour,” “On My Block.” “I’ve seen (‘Friday’) probably 100 times.”

>> Favorite snacks: Gushers, Doritos (purple bag), chocolate milk.

>> Favorite homemade foods: Mom’s corned beef, mom’s pork chops with mushroom gravy, papa’s pancakes. “My mom (Crystal Amisone) makes it with onions and corn with rice. My grandpa (Liatama Amisone) made banana pancakes, strawberry pancakes.”

>> Favorite music artists: The Green (“Love I”), Maoli (“My Reason”), Lion Fiyah (“Feel Like A Kid Again”).

>> Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles. “The first team we played on was called the Eagles. My cousin (Tama Amisone) pretended he was Michael Vick and I pretended I was DeSean Jackson.”

>> Favorite athlete: Justin Jefferson.

>> Favorite class: Integrated science, freshman year.

>> Favorite teachers: Mrs. Domingo, Mrs. Takamori.

>> Funniest teammates: Anieli Talaieai, Seth Setu. “They bring light to the team on bad days.”

>> Smartest teammate: Zachary Tamboa. “I think he’s already taking college classes. Every day before practices and games, he’s always in a meeting. He had a meeting with (Gov.) David Ige.”

>> New life skill: “Being able to train and be by myself more often.”

>> Youth sports: “I played for Eagles (flag football) in 4U and 6U, then Village Park Warriors (Pop Warner Tiny Mites). In middle school, I played for All-Blacks Crusaders and coach Jon Amano.