By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
Semisi Tokolahi is healthy, fully recharged and ready to provide the type of electric defensive line play that Washington sorely needs in the competitive Pacific-12 Conference.
After breaking his left fibula and dislocating his ankle against rival Washington State in his sophomore season, the 2009 Hilo graduate has endured a grueling road to recovery, adding to his difficulty while playing in pain last year.
Three surgeries later, including one to fix nerve damage, Tokolahi is putting his best foot forward for the Huskies (2-1), who open conference play against No. 8 Stanford (3-0, 1-0) in a game televised live at 3 p.m. today on ESPN.
Right around the corner, the schedule is filled with more thorns. Up next the following Saturday on the road is No. 2 Oregon at Phil Knight’s Nike palace or Autzen Stadium. Then it’s No. 13 USC at the rented home of CenturyLink Field; Husky Stadium is undergoing a $260 million renovation.
“I love it. The Pac-12 is a tough conference. I love every day of it,” Tokolahi said. “Every time, every week, there’s always something we have to prepare for. You can’t be satisfied. Every team you play, the Pac-12 comes out firing. It’s been a really good experience.”
Tokolahi, a 6-foot-2, 320-pound defensive lineman, couldn’t have asked for more. He was part of coach Steve Sarkisian’s first recruiting class, and logged playing time as a freshman.
That 2009 influx of new Huskies helped produce a 5-7 record, wiping the mud off the previous season — an 0-12 record, the first goose egg laid since 1890 when the program was 0-0-1 in its second year of existence.
In his sophomore season, Tokolahi played in 12 games, but missed the Holiday Bowl, a 19-7 win over Nebraska, after he suffered his injury against Wazzu in the Apple Cup, named for Washington’s famous apple crop.
Last season, Tokolahi played in 10 games and UW finished with the same overall and conference records, 7-6 and 5-4, respectively. In a memorable Alamo Bowl, Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III and Baylor won in a shootout 67-56.
“Last year I wasn’t 100 percent. I still had problems with my foot, but I was out there,” Tokolahi said. “I did what I could to help the team. I’m coming along. I feel better than last year. Everything is coming back.”
Big roars
Through three games, Tokolahi has five tackles, including a pair in an earlier 41-3 loss to LSU in front of an overflowed crowd of 92,804 at Tiger Stadium, the 10th largest stadium in the NCAA and known throughout the collegiate land as Death Valley.
It’s quite a contrast, considering back in his Big Island Interscholastic Federation glory days as a Viking, Tokolahi played his home game at Wong Stadium, which covers 2,500 under the grandstand.
CenturyLink Field, home to the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer and the one-year residence for UW, has a seating capacity of 67,000. Husky Stadium can fit 72,500 patrons and UW has a fan base that is passionate to the bone — a love that Tokolahi enjoys and embraces.
“I’ve never seen fans so loyal and fired up to be at every home game,” he said. “Hearing our fans cheer, being on defense you can’t even hear the man next to you. We always emphasize hand signals. It’s a crazy place up here. I went up an hour and a half to North Bend, and at a store a cashier recognized me.
“Just being on the team is the best experience. It’s all about the college experience, being at UW, my teammates and the coaches, who come out fired up every single day. It’s the passion the city of Seattle has for UW. It just blows my mind.”
Family support
He is the only child of Kina and Sita Tokolahi. His dad runs Kina’s Big Island Services, a masonry company that builds stone walls among other things. His parents are like the Husky fans — loyal and passionate.
His dad flies up for all his home games. His parents have rented a place less than an hour from his apartment. The arrangement has been in place all four years.
“They’ve been a big influence on me,” said Tokolahi, who is interested in the Secret Service if a shot at the NFL doesn’t pan out. “Even if they go through hard times, they always find a way to support me, my dad especially. To see him go back and forth and try to be here for my home games, it makes me want to drive harder.
“I think that’s what helps me. I enjoy it every time my parents come to my games. It inspires me and shows me their support, no matter what.”
Like masonry work, Tokolahi has helped build things at UW, which rebounded from a winless season and seven straight years of not appearing in a bowl game.
To throw thorns in his way, a lingering injury also tested his perseverance. He found that passion comes in all forms, especially from within.
“From where the program used to be, I can say it’s come a long way,” Tokolahi said. “Obviously, there’s room for improvement. I believe in getting better every single day. Every day you fight to get better and better.”
To submit a collegiate athlete with Big Island ties for publication, email kjakahi@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
Semisi Tokolahi
School: Washington
Sport: Football
Class: Senior
Major: Liberal arts
BIIF: Hilo, 2009
Motto: “Every day you fight to get better and better.”
