By Sierra Gamayon

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Football season may be over, but that hasn’t stopped Running Back Senior Vavae Malepeai from getting back onto the field. On Jan. 9, Malepeai played in the U.S Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. Malepeai played for the west side, which won against the east with a final score of 37-9. Although he didn’t score, Malepeai lead the game in rushes with 66 total yards.

“I feel I did great, but you always can get better. You just (got to) sit back and think about the good things you did and also look at your mistakes but it was an All-American all-star game so it was pretty laid back. I didn’t get a touchdown so that’s the only thing I was really sick about. But I was blessed to even be there and I definitely got my yards in. But you can never be satisfied, you just got to get better from there,” said Malepeai.

While there, Malepeai met many different people from all around the United States that were there to participate or watch the Bowl. “I met hall of famers and a lot of athletes that were on the same path as me with similar goals,” said Malepeai.
The other players are all considered to be some of the best in the country, but instead of feeling intimidated, Malepeai felt reassured. “It felt pretty cool because this was the first time I felt small on the field because the whole offensive line was tall and the shortest guy was 6 foot 4 inches and  everyone was tall and big around me, but it felt great knowing (there was) a bunch of talent on my team and on the other team,” said Malepeai.

Traveling to Texas with Malepeai was his mother Tali Malepeai, who supported him on his journey to becoming an All-American. “When he was introduced at the game it filled me with pride seeing people recognized him, this kid from the little state of Hawaii,” said Tali Malepeai. “I love watching him play because he plays with so much heart and passion.”

While juggling school and football, Malepeai has also had to deal with the stress of recruitment. “The recruiting process is basically the greatest problem you could ever have; you’ve got schools coming for you left and right, and you’ve got the coaches contacting you. It’s kind of hard to say no to some of them because you build relationships during the recruiting process; but eventually it has to come down to one school, it’s the best problem you could ever have,” Malepeai said.

Malepeai has committed to play for the University of Southern California after high school to continue his football career and carry on in his education.