Every day, University of Hawaii defensive tackle Anthony Sagapolutele takes a knee and offers prayerful appreciation.

Sagapolutele gives thanks to former UH defensive tackle Michael Lafaele and his wife Teri.

While training at Saint Louis School, his alma mater, Sagapolutele noticed Lafaele working with football players Darrell Masaniai, Nick Herbig and Jordan Botelho. Sagapolutele mustered the courage to introduce himself to Lafaele, then asked if he could join the workouts. Lafaele, now Farrington High’s head coach, provided training and guidance. After spending time with Lafaele and his family, Teri said she would approve if Sagapolutele asked out her daughter.

The couple eventually married this year, and now are expecting their first child, a son, in February.

“I’m still in the learning process of fatherhood,” Sagapolutele said. “I want to make sure whatever I do is right for my family and the future of my family.”

Sagapolutele gives thanks to Auntie Laini Delima, who welcomed Sagapolutele into her Waimanalo home after he transferred from the UNLV football program. After a year as a walk-on with the Rebels — of whom he will reunite when UH and UNLV play on Saturday at the Ching Complex — Sagapolutele felt it would be better to return to Hawaii.

“She’s one of the people who has a place in my heart,” Sagapolutele said.

And Sagapolutele gives thanks to his faith — and football — for helping him conquer self doubt and insecurity.

Ahead of warmups each practice, Sagapolutele runs toward the middle of the field, then yells out encouragement to his teammates. “God made me more than an insecure man, more than just an introvert,” he said. “He gave me a voice for a reason. That goes for all of us. He blessed our voices before he blessed any of our talents. When I’m yelling out there, I’m giving glory to God. It’s not other people I’m doing it for.”

Despite playing football most of his life, he often battled bouts of insecurity.

”Growing up,” he shared, “I never really had the confidence to play football. I didn’t think I was good enough. Trying to get the confidence to even go on the field and put my hands on another player, it was out of the normal for me. It was real uncomfortable for me.”

He conceded he was a “very fearful kid growing up. I was always scared of everything. I was scared of what other people thought of me, scared of even my own family, what they thought of me. That was the fear in me.”

But he said the tenseness dissipated when he began trusting his faith. He said he is grateful for having food and shelter, for playing football, for attending college.

“These blessings,” he said, mostly referencing football, “are going to stop coming. Let’s appreciate these blessings now and not wait until later on.”

With recent injuries on the defensive line, Sagapolutele has earned more playing. At 5 feet 11 and 260 pounds, he relies on leverage, strength and quickness to get under an O-lineman’s block.

Defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold, who incorporates boxing drills into workouts, has compared each lineman to a boxer. Sagapolutele has been likened in burst to R0y Jones Jr., a true middleweight who often fought in heavier divisions.

“That’s the way (Sagapolutele) approaches the game,” Reinebold said. “You look at him on paper and you say, ‘no way.’ He just goes out there and plays way bigger than he is, and strikes way heavier than he should, and plays at a tempo champions play at. When we talk about fighters, we talk about guys who are busy fighters, like (Marvelous Marvin) Hagler, who is going to get on you and throw punches and punches. Anthony is a busy fighter. He loves hand-to-hand combat. Here’s a kid who was a walk-on at UNLV, then a walk-on here. And now has earned his right. He’s earned his scholarship.”

Sagapolutele said: “God gave me the ability to strike somebody, to play this game. He gave me the ability to speak and inspire other people.”