Bartlett’s Niko Alailefaleula. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
As Tui Alailefaleula sat in his high school’s weight room with his two sons flanking him, he reminisced like we all do as we age. No longer the youthful phenom eager to see about himself, Alailefaleula pondered life’s next chapters for his boys, Niko and Deuce.
“Everything is a lot different,” said Alailefaleula, 40.
More than 20 years ago, Tui tormented the Bartlett football team’s opponents as a hulking defensive lineman. Last fall, Niko, 17, was the state’s top running back with 1,615 yards while Deuce, 15, earned a taste of varsity D-line action as a freshman only months removed from fulfilling ball boy duties.
Once Alaska’s Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American honoree, Tui parlayed his talent into a college career at the University of Washington. He played on both the Huskies’ offensive and defensive lines, becoming one of the only 17 Alaskans to play at least 40 games at the NCAA Division I level. He also spent brief moments on practice squads for the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets before returning to Alaska to start his family with wife Lorina.
Tui was quite the sought-after recruit back at the turn of the century.
“I always went out there to play my butt off and always be coachable,” he said. “Word of mouth got around and some coaches and recruiters showed up (here in Anchorage).”
Back then, you tried selling yourself to schools by filling VHS tapes with highlights and mailing them around the country.
“Today, it’s all electronic,” he said.
Niko signs on the dotted line, making his commitment official to Southern Utah University.
Whatever the method, the recruiting process worked once again for the Alailefaleula family. Niko recently committed to DI Southern Utah University of the United Athletic Conference and the sport’s championship subdivision. He made the switch after initially signing with DII Adams State.
“Going DI was to me serious business,” said Niko, Alaska’s co-offensive player of the year during his senior season. “It made me want to work that much harder. Eventually, I’ll be competing with better athletes. I’ll put in 10 times the work and be prepared from the moment I walk in the door.”
Niko (5-foot-10, 230 pounds) will likely leave for Cedar City, Utah in late July or early August.
“The recruiting journey had its ups and downs, but patience was the key,” Niko said.
Deuce (6-0, 288) isn’t going anywhere just yet. However, don’t lose sight of what he’s already accomplished.
A few weeks ago, Deuce participated in the Polynesian Bowl National Combine and Showcase down in Las Vegas. Niko attended the same showcase last season as he was entering his senior season. Again, Deuce is still a high school freshman.
Thank you @polynesiabowl for the invite to showcase my talents at the National Showcase & Combine. I enjoyed the experience, being coached by poly football legends n’ competing against really good athletes @ScottRapp17 @JasonThier @PlayerProMorgan @247 @jessesapolu pic.twitter.com/0LesSf4zuY
— Deuce Alailefaleula (@ucedeuce_55) April 12, 2023
“After the first day some of the coaches recognized the name and remembered my brother,” Deuce said.
Everyone agreed attending the showcase as a freshman was unique. Deuce’s game is still developing yet he’s shown ferocious flashes on the interior of the defensive line.
“Oh, I still act like a kid sometimes,” he said. “But on the field is something else. My mind and attitude change, and I just like hitting people.”
LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS
The sons obviously weren’t around to witness dad at the height of his football powers. But they’ve occasionally dusted off those VHS tapes and a VCR to learn what that hype was all about long ago.
“He was just our dad growing up,” Niko said. “But we learned he was The Man, and we knew living up to those expectations, living up to the name was going to be a tall order.”
To the credit of Tui and Lorina as parents, they didn’t go with the football factory mindset until the boys became teenagers. They started getting more serious about all things athlete shortly before high school.
“We always wanted them to be active and find a sport they loved,” Tui said. “I kind of wanted them to be my baseball boys. But we started noticing in about eighth grade that they could excel. We introduced them to weights, got Niko and Deuce a little more involved in conditioning. We also discussed the final details of positioning for linebackers and work on the line.
“We did all that with a lot of pride, being here at Bartlett.”
Tui Alailefaleula played in 40 career games for the Washington Huskies from 2001 to 2005.
The BHS experience means something to the family. While football is the vehicle taking them places, both Niko and Deuce are currently part of the Golden Bears’ track and field team. Niko ranks third in the Cook Inlet Conference in the shot put and sixth in the discus. Deuce sits seventh in the shot put.
“We’re not trying to grow up too fast, so of course we want to participate in different sports,” Niko said. “We have to take advantage of every moment while we’re still in high school.
“It will be straight football in college, it’ll be my job.”
THE NEW ‘OLD MAN’
Niko is close to leaving for what’s next. Deuce still has his formative high school years ahead of him. The boys’ sister Malayah is only 11. How might she add to the Alailefaleula lineage?
As a youth counselor at Anchorage’s McLaughlin Youth Center, Tui plays an integral role in not only the lives of his children but many others. He is also a popular figure in the slow-pitch softball community.
“I’ve got tips and traits to share,” he said.
As he ages, he aims to be a lot like legendary Alaska High School Hall of Famer Tom Huffer Sr., considered the godfather of Chugiak High football and a true Southcentral Alaska sports pillar. Alailefaleula wants to be as respected and helpful as Huffer continues to be to this day.
“I can be the new ‘Old Man’,” Tui said.
All the while, he’ll soak in the joys of family.
“Flashback, memories, it all takes me back,” Tui said. “Niko and Deuce kind of emulate me in their styles of play. They’re having fun, and it’s special to see.”