By Mohamed Bafakih (@Moe_Fresco):
As the weather begins to cool down and the elevation rises, it hasn’t stopped defensive lineman Sailosi Latu from keeping his jersey elevated like Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Tonga native embraces his stomach hanging out of his crop-top jersey, admiring every stretch mark that lines up evenly like yard lines on a football field.
“Everybody thinks when it’s cold you’re supposed to hide it [stomach], but you can’t hide something that’s the best quality for you,” Latu said, sporting a large practice jersey when typically a 2XL would be more fitting.
Latu moved to Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. from the tropical Polynesian kingdom of Tonga in 2010.
The Southern California city’s warmth was adaptable when he moved for high school, but transitioning to the Rocky Mountains for his senior year was what he and his stomach relished.
Growing up in the South Pacific islands, Latu said that playing rugby — the national sport in Tonga — shirtless was common. Having his jersey up therefore gives him a slight sense of having his top off.
“Nah, nah,” Latu said on the comparison of the generally warm weather in California to the cold in Utah. “During the cold season, that’s when it’s the best time to show it out.”
From the start of high school football, there was an automatic urge for his jersey to go up.
“It took me like probably two to three days to realize I had to get my jersey up during practice,” Latu said.
Getting away with it in practice is attainable, however, avoiding referee encounters during games is another story.
Latu mentioned how he’d have to tell referees jokes so they would continue to let him play with his jersey up, or keep it down during kickoff before pulling it up.
“Losi (Sailosi) got the whole package,” said junior Owen Roberts. “The hair, the belly, Losi’s the man.”
Roberts, who stands alongside Latu on the defensive line, said that Latu’s appearance adds some swagger to the defense.
As for defensive line coach Joe Seumalo, he’s more of a fan of Latu’s abilities.
“Those jerseys are very snugged for a lot of those guys,” Seumalo said, who during his playing days as a “much skinnier” defensive lineman would sport it similarly. “If that’s what makes the kid play the best and keeps a smile on his face then to me it’s a good thing.”
The Spartans were in Nevada last week and face Colorado State this week, places where the weather is much colder and the altitude is higher than San Jose.
Regardless, expect the “Big Belly Brand” to be showcased.
Though Latu has yet to accumulate a sack this season and isn’t much a of a celebratory person, he said that maybe a belly rub would be the go-to move.
His presence nonetheless will always be eye-catching just like his stomach.
“They always think it’s my hair, my smile,” Latu said. “[But] nah, it has to be the belly.”
