A Little Inspiration
FLORHAM PARK–From the time the Jets drafted him in 2005, Sione Pouha (Bo-oo-ha), or “Bo” as he is called, had always kept his hair very close cropped or shaved . Then in 2009 his teammates started to notice that it was growing out. Over the last 12 months it has gotten longer and curlier, to the point where he sometimes keeps it pulled back with a hair band. A new style choice? Not exactly.
Pouha’s father, Sonasi, died of pancreatic cancer in 2009. The two had one special moment before he died. “My head was the last thing…before he passed, he hugged my head,” Pouha remembered. “I’ve let it grow ever since then. Every now and then I need a little touch of inspiration, so I touch the ends of my hair.”
Sonasi emigrated from Tonga to the United States in the 1970s. He worked as a migrant worker in Hawaii, until he had saved enough money to send for his wife, Susana, and their three daughters. Practicing Mormons, they moved to Salt Lake City, where the church is based, and in 1979, Pouha was born there, the first of the family to be born in the United States.
Pouha started playing football at the age of nine. He was a standout at East High School in Salt Lake City and subsequently signed a letter of intent with the University of Utah. However, college was put on hold so he could serve on a two-year mission for the Mormon church in Pittsburgh.
Upon completing the mission, he enrolled at Utah and once again showed his football prowess with the Utes. Although Pouha had always loved football, he never gave much thought to playing beyond the college level. He originally thought he might want to become a coach. Then, in his senior year, things changed.
“After the sixth or seventh game an agent called me,” he said. “That’s the first time I ever really thought about [playing in the NFL].”
In 2005, the Jets drafted the defensive tackle in the third round. He performed modestly that year, but then tore his ACL during training camp in 2006, and was placed on injured reserve.
Now in his sixth season, Pouha has become an integral part of the Jets defense. He has played in every game since returning from his ACL injury in 2007. In the last two years, he has stepped seamlessly into the role vacated by consecutive injuries to nose tackle Kris Jenkins.
Pouha also stays busy off the field, chasing after the four young children he has with his wife Keiti, his college sweetheart, whom he married when they were both still attending Utah.
As for life after football, is coaching still on his radar? “No, not really,” he laughed. “I see the hours, I say, I’m all right. I’ll be a productive member of society.”
He’s already preparing for that, starting a drink business called Bula, which is a word of welcome in Fiji. “It’s a relaxation drink,” he said. “The opposite of energy drinks. It’s a combination of Kava and Valerian root. In the Polynesian islands they’ve been using them for 3000 years. We use extracts that come straight from Fiji.”
The drink, which is sold online and in stores in northern California, has taken off, with Pouha doing the lion’s share of the behind-the-scenes work in getting the product off the ground.
At this point, Pouha is certainly not spending a lot of his time relaxing. There’s still too much work to be done – on and off the field.
37 Responses to A Little Inspiration
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Great piece Lisa. Sione is the most underrated and one of the most integral members of our defense. His work in run stopping with Big Jenk going down the last two years has been outstanding.
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Like the others have said, great work LZ — really enjoy these kind of pieces. Makes the players more than a number or a face you see one day a week.
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Lisa, let me add to the kudos by saying I really enjoy these profiles of less-celebrated Jets players. It provides TJB with unique content that I can’t get from any other online sports outlet.
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I’m shocked Lisa didn’t allude to this great story on Pouha. This was one of the reason’s he was chosen so high, his high character value……Great story.
One night during Pouha’s sophomore year at Utah, he was startled late at night in the Salt Lake City apartment he was sharing with his then girlfriend and now wife, Hokeiti, by a blaring fire alarm. He shuffled a few yards down the hall of his floor and saw smoke coming from under a door. The door, which was locked, was warm to the touch.
As a football lineman, Pouha is conditioned to act on instinct. Think about it, he said Friday after his first official N.F.L. practice, “if you hesitate, you miss a tackle or sack.”
Standing outside the apartment of his neighbor Brooke Lewis, Pouha feared that any indecisiveness on his part could lead to disaster. Pouha threw his 6-foot-3, 300-pound frame against the door, and it gave way.
Pouha dropped to his hands and knees and crawled toward the kitchen, where the stove was spewing flames. The oven had been left on with a pizza baking inside and the cheese had caught fire.
Pouha continued crawling deeper into the apartment where he found Lewis on the floor next to the bedroom door.
“I wasn’t conscious or anything,” Lewis said in a telephone interview from Salt Lake City. “He had to be pretty strong to knock down the door,” she added.
Pouha slung Lewis over his shoulder, carried her outside the building and stayed with her until an ambulance arrived.
Since the fire did not spread far beyond Lewis’s apartment, Pouha returned to his apartment, where Hokeiti was sleeping. He showered and fell asleep.
The next morning, he attended classes and told nobody about his drama-filled night.
At football practice, his secret leaked out, literally, through his pores.
When he started to sweat, Pouha said, he gave off a smoky odor. After he told his Utah teammates about the fire, they regaled Pouha with a rousing rendition of a song popularized by Bette Midler, “The Wind Beneath My Wings”: “Did you ever know that you’re my hero, and everything I would like to be?”
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Tha guy is a great member of the team and this article shows why he’s a great person also. I got to meet Bo at Hofstra last year and he was quite the gentleman. Very respectful and easy to talk to. I hope he remain on this team for a long time. Great article Lisa!
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Great piece, liked Pouha coming in(not his age). He disappointed me at first but now that’s all behind us. Hope he can start next season and we can bring Jinks back half through.
Don’t care to upset some of you but also, next season we should cut J-Co if we can sign both Edwards and Holmes. -
Great read, great stories, and article about the man. However I do disagree with one of the posters. Pouha has become more than anyone anticipated. The guy signed what I believe was a 3 year contract this year. The Jets need to man up and give this guy his due, tear up the old contract and give him his worth. He is a starter, and has started the last 2 years on what is arguably the best defense in the league Jenkins not withstanding. Lets hope this “Player” doesn’t get hurt too, because than you will understand how good and how much of a value he is to this defense.
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Lisa,
Again fully enjoyable article. Your style and insights are great balance to the fact driven (or opinion driven!) stories across the blog. Nice touch, nice story. Keep the good stuff flowing — like Bula.C Low — well done too!
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Lisa Zimmerman says:
OMG. Greg? Really?
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The one and only. No, there’s more Gregs. Just none that comment on the Jets as eloquently as me.
Been really enjoying your columns. Keep it up.
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Lisa Zimmerman says:
Where are you these days?
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i remember when we drafted him… he had good scouting reports said he always broke through the line his only knock was that he fell for pump fakes from the qb too easy
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Great article. There are a lot of good people who aren’t good players, and (unfortunately) a lot of good players who aren’t good people. It’s a pleasure to see a good guy like Sione blossom in the NFL. I hope this article helps more Jet fans appreciate what we have in him.
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Jay Glazer:
Yes, vikes and pats have been working on trade that sends randy moss to vikes and r very clode but can’t be done until vikes and moss work out new contract, whcih they r working onLOL can’t they wait until next week? Seriously though, I would LOVE if this went down. It would make the Vikings better this week, but it would make the Patriots much weaker this year.
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Haha no problem. I think this is a good thing for the Jets. Yes, it might hurt them on Monday night. But the Patriots are a much less dangerous team without Moss, and they are our biggest competition for the division. They would probably get another 1st round pick though, which I don’t like.
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Haven’t seen it posted yethere, but Vikings are close to getting Randy Moss per rotoworld…wow…
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Yeah, just heard it on ESPN that Randy Moss is about to be traded to the Vikings. WOW!
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That is crazy, but so Pat like- get rid of a guy and get something for him when they know he isnt coming back the following year. Supposedly a 3rd round pick, but waiting on Moss to except an extension.
Is this the Pats conceding the Division this year?
They couldnt beat us with him, and a few of our guys out, how they going to beat us without him and most of our guys back!
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Moss is expendable. He had no catches against Fins. Those 2 rookie tight ends are the play makers now it seems.
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No way in hell is Moss expendable. You want to know why those rookie TEs are play makers? Because Moss is spreading the field for them.
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Remind me again why SNY continues to interview an EX-CHIEFS fan instead of LISA Z?
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Zartan,
Responding to: “Don’t care to upset some of you but also, next season we should cut J-Co if we can sign both Edwards and Holmes.” on October 5, 2010 at 6:50 p.m.
Good, think New England or even Miami will appreciate his services.
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correction:
good, I think New England or even Miami will appreciate his services.
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“After the sixth of seventh game an agent called me.” Are agents allowed to do that? And is he allowed to take the call?
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This guy is a what I call A-Hole but sometimes he gets it right, but remember he said the Jets were going to cut Edwards before the Miami game and you can see that never happened. But this is what is out there.
incarceratedbob
I will try 2 get compensation part of deal as quick as i can, what im hearing(Let Me Be Clear-Just Rumored)is a #1Pick 2011 + 3rd 2011 or 12
If Minn does that deal they are just plain stupid IMO.
But I will say it again this guy spouts a lot of chit
I had my doubts about this guy when the Jets drafted him in the 3rd round, but he has really developed into an excellent player. He may not make as many big plays as Jenkins, but he is a major reason why the Jets play so well against the run.
Great post (as always) Lisa. We are so lucky to have you on this blog. Don’t worry Bassett/Bent, we like you too.