SE: From Samoa to Manhattan, Tyrone Taleni Always Gives it All
5/19/2021
May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, as K-State Sports Extra spotlights one of the many Wildcats from this diverse and vibrant community in Manhattan.
By: Austin Siegel
He's lined up at defensive tackle on a cloudy, October day in Kansas and Tyrone Taleni is about to get the first sack of his Big 12 career.
K-State is beating Kansas 55-7 in the fourth quarter of the Sunflower Showdown, an opportunity for a guy who started playing football two years ago to show what he can do.
Before Taleni would have been able to explain what happened next, how he used a bull rush to slip past the Kansas lineman and get to the quarterback, he would have recognized something about the Little Apple.
"In Samoa, where you come from and who you come from is everything," Taleni said. "My culture has taught me the value of family, love, and respect. I'm over 6,000 miles from Samoa, but I've been able to find the same values here in Manhattan."
Taleni has traveled as far as anyone to be a part of K-State Football.
He's from an island called Savai'i that lies a continent and an ocean away. It's the largest of the two main islands that make up Samoa and even now, the place still has a hold on Taleni.
"I miss being in nature. I kind of grew up in the mountains, but we're not too far from the coastal area," he said. "I've been wanting to get back to the warm water and the nice sandy beaches. But I also miss plantation work and all that stuff that I'm used to back home."
When Taleni talks about Samoa, he doesn't just speak of places, but people.
It's a community that was difficult to leave behind. Taleni grew up around family and neighbors, in a culture known for blending the distinction between the two.
"Everyone in my village, I considered family," he said. "I knew pretty much everyone, and we always did things as a community."
Of course, Taleni didn't actually know everybody in Samoa, a question he's had to clear up a few times since arriving in the United States.
In Samoa, where you come from and who you come from is everything. My culture has taught me the value of family, love, and respect. I'm over 6,000 miles from Samoa, but I've been able to find the same values here in Manhattan.Tyrone Taleni
Americans also seem preoccupied about whether or not Samoa has any cars. Taleni is able to laugh off those questions, but Samoan culture is at the heart of his journey in college football.
Just like the sport at the heart of Samoan culture: Rugby.
"I know American Samoa has a little bit of football going on, but coming from independent Samoa, all we play is rugby," he said. "I never heard much about football until I came out to the states."
Taleni had his first visit to the United States on a mission trip and left with the hope that one day, he might be back to get his college degree.
Family in California helped him make the connection between that dream and college football. Taleni said that cousins who grew up playing the sport in California visited Samoa when he was a kid, introducing him to football and the opportunities it might present in college.
But that was it. There was no recruitment or unbelievable highlight tape. A vacationing college football coach didn't spot Taleni on the beach in Samoa and hand him a scholarship.
"It's not like somebody reached out," he said.
No, Taleni came to California and did it himself. He enrolled at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California and went to the first football practice of his life in 2018.
His rugby background meant Taleni wasn't starting from scratch, but there was still a learning curve.
"Some people say rugby is similar to football, but I don't think so. In rugby, you play offense and defense, so everyone has to be more flexible in what they do," he said. "A few skills from rugby helped going into football, but there was definitely a lot to learn. I didn't get the concept of the game at all and to be honest, I'm still trying to learn."
For example, the idea that he would now be asked to focus on just one position was a new one.
Safe to say, the coaches in California hadn't seen many 227-pound freshmen who could punt the ball 65 yards. But that's the sort of skill you pick up in rugby, where punting occurs within the flow of the game.
Taleni said he was drawn to the defensive line because that's the position group where most of his friends were playing at Mount SAC. It proved to be a smart move.
He redshirted his freshman year, before Taleni racked up 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks in his first season at the JUCO level. That's when DI schools began to reach out to a player who had impressed even while he was learning the sport.
K-State and defensive tackles coach Mike Tuiasosopo, who is from America Samoa, helped Taleni adjust when he decided to continue his college career at Kansas State.
But some things are always going to be a challenge when you're playing football 6,000 miles from home.
In a way, K-State has become my home, my village. And I always give my all for my village.Tyrone Taleni
"My parents have never seen me play football in person. I left Samoa at the end of 2017. So, I actually haven't seen my parents and sisters in three and a half years. I miss them a lot, but I know the hard work and sacrifice will pay off," Taleni said. "Thank goodness for Facebook Messenger, I get to talk to them every week. Family is everything in my culture, so I look forward to seeing them again. I'd love to see my family in the stands sometime in the future."
COVID-19 put that dream on hold in 2020, as his family in Samoa had to follow Taleni and the Wildcats when they could watch games online.
Taleni appeared in three Big 12 games for K-State, including the team's upset of No. 3 Oklahoma in September, before recording his first career sack against the Jayhawks.
Heading into the summer, Taleni said he's focused on training and conditioning in the weight room. He recently earned an offseason honor as the team's Prizefighter of the Week.
"I want to do as much as I can to help the team," he said. "The goal that we're striving for is to win a Big 12 Championship. That's something that's been on my mind lately. I just want to help the team get there."
That might make Taleni sound like a veteran college football player. But as with everything in his life, it all comes back to the values he learned on the island where it all began.
"In a way, K-State has become my home, my village," Taleni said. "And I always give my all for my village."
