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The University of Utah Athletics
Jordan Agasiva: The Grind To Greatness
9/18/2018 3:16 PM | Football
By Mady White
Utah Athletics Communications
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Playing Division I football was something Utah senior offensive lineman Jordan Agasiva knew he wanted to pursue during his early years of high school. However, he did not anticipate the grind that it would take to get there.
Agasiva grew up in Kalihi, Hawaii, where he attended Farrington High School his freshman and sophomore years before finishing at Mililani High School. Agasiva earned first-team all-state honors twice while at Mililani, which would grab the attention of the University of Hawaii's coaching staff.
"I only had one offer coming out of high school, which was University of Hawaii," Agasiva said. "During high school, I didn't have the best grades and that really made an impact on my football career. I was signed to the University of Hawaii originally. But when I didn't make grades, I had to change the route I thought I was going to follow and instead I went the junior college path."
Agasiva headed to Pima Community College in Arizona, where he looked to rebuild his academic resume, improve his skills and get himself to the point where he could live out his goal of playing Division I football. Already possessing the body and skillset necessary to make it to the next level, Agasiva put his schoolwork at forefront while in junior college.
"I was constantly working on my academics and had a ton of support to do well," Agasiva said. "My family was always there for me and had faith I could do it. In junior college, it was a grind out there.
"I just had to keep the right mentality every day because I didn't want to just end my football career at the junior college level," he continued. "I had seen a lot of guys that had a lot of talent, but they just go back home after junior college and don't go on to play at the next level."
Hard work both in the classroom and on the field inched Agasiva closer to where he always wanted to be. He earned first-team all-region honors following his sophomore year at Pima and left with a pair of first-team All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference honors.
With play on the football field holding steady and his academics turned around, Agasiva was ready to enter the scope of recruitment from Division I schools, and drew the interest of several big name programs, including Auburn, Alabama and TCU.
"I had known Coach Lew (Lewis Powell) because he was the recruiter for UH at the time when I was in high school. We were already tight so that kind of flipped the switch for me. When I visited here, I thought it was great. I visited a couple of other schools, like Auburn, and it was super nice down in the SEC," Agasiva said. "But Utah was just like a family. The bond here is strong and you can see it as soon as you come in. I just didn't feel that in the other places like I did here."
Ready to come in and make an impact immediately, Agasiva earned the starting job at right guard last season. He started all 10 games when he was healthy, missing three due to an injury. Now primed and ready for his senior season, Agasiva is projected to start at right guard once again. He is happy to be back alongside his brothers on the front line.
"I am going to bring whatever our team needs me to bring this year to have something special," Agasiva stated. "Football is such a team sport and we all have each other's backs, and as the O-line we have to stick together even more. I think all of us on the line help each other and push each other every day. It is definitely a grind and I have been through a lot to get here. But I am ready to go out this season and be great."
The strong bond that has been built among the guys on the offensive line definitely translates into the way they play alongside each other. It is a unit that underwent a major overhaul before last year with the loss of four NFL draft picks. The opposite is the case this year with four starters returning. However, Agasiva knows there is always room for improvement, and if one person is improving it makes everyone want to get better as it becomes a chain reaction.
"Personally, I want to do more film work and on-the-board work this season," Agasiva said. "Those two things will really help prepare me better, and can help the entire line. Learning the plays better will also help us, but I mostly just want to always be putting in the extra work after practice and when we have days off."
Putting in the extra work has helped the 6-foot-3, 320-pound senior to achieve great success thus far in his football career, but he is not satisfied. With hopes of playing in the NFL, Agasiva will continue to put in the time and effort as he has his whole life. Going through the ups and downs to get where he is today, the grind to get here has prepared him for anything life may throw his way.
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Utah Athletics Communications
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Playing Division I football was something Utah senior offensive lineman Jordan Agasiva knew he wanted to pursue during his early years of high school. However, he did not anticipate the grind that it would take to get there.
Agasiva grew up in Kalihi, Hawaii, where he attended Farrington High School his freshman and sophomore years before finishing at Mililani High School. Agasiva earned first-team all-state honors twice while at Mililani, which would grab the attention of the University of Hawaii's coaching staff.
"I only had one offer coming out of high school, which was University of Hawaii," Agasiva said. "During high school, I didn't have the best grades and that really made an impact on my football career. I was signed to the University of Hawaii originally. But when I didn't make grades, I had to change the route I thought I was going to follow and instead I went the junior college path."
Agasiva headed to Pima Community College in Arizona, where he looked to rebuild his academic resume, improve his skills and get himself to the point where he could live out his goal of playing Division I football. Already possessing the body and skillset necessary to make it to the next level, Agasiva put his schoolwork at forefront while in junior college.
"I was constantly working on my academics and had a ton of support to do well," Agasiva said. "My family was always there for me and had faith I could do it. In junior college, it was a grind out there.
"I just had to keep the right mentality every day because I didn't want to just end my football career at the junior college level," he continued. "I had seen a lot of guys that had a lot of talent, but they just go back home after junior college and don't go on to play at the next level."
Hard work both in the classroom and on the field inched Agasiva closer to where he always wanted to be. He earned first-team all-region honors following his sophomore year at Pima and left with a pair of first-team All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference honors.
With play on the football field holding steady and his academics turned around, Agasiva was ready to enter the scope of recruitment from Division I schools, and drew the interest of several big name programs, including Auburn, Alabama and TCU.
"I had known Coach Lew (Lewis Powell) because he was the recruiter for UH at the time when I was in high school. We were already tight so that kind of flipped the switch for me. When I visited here, I thought it was great. I visited a couple of other schools, like Auburn, and it was super nice down in the SEC," Agasiva said. "But Utah was just like a family. The bond here is strong and you can see it as soon as you come in. I just didn't feel that in the other places like I did here."
Ready to come in and make an impact immediately, Agasiva earned the starting job at right guard last season. He started all 10 games when he was healthy, missing three due to an injury. Now primed and ready for his senior season, Agasiva is projected to start at right guard once again. He is happy to be back alongside his brothers on the front line.
"I am going to bring whatever our team needs me to bring this year to have something special," Agasiva stated. "Football is such a team sport and we all have each other's backs, and as the O-line we have to stick together even more. I think all of us on the line help each other and push each other every day. It is definitely a grind and I have been through a lot to get here. But I am ready to go out this season and be great."
The strong bond that has been built among the guys on the offensive line definitely translates into the way they play alongside each other. It is a unit that underwent a major overhaul before last year with the loss of four NFL draft picks. The opposite is the case this year with four starters returning. However, Agasiva knows there is always room for improvement, and if one person is improving it makes everyone want to get better as it becomes a chain reaction.
"Personally, I want to do more film work and on-the-board work this season," Agasiva said. "Those two things will really help prepare me better, and can help the entire line. Learning the plays better will also help us, but I mostly just want to always be putting in the extra work after practice and when we have days off."
Putting in the extra work has helped the 6-foot-3, 320-pound senior to achieve great success thus far in his football career, but he is not satisfied. With hopes of playing in the NFL, Agasiva will continue to put in the time and effort as he has his whole life. Going through the ups and downs to get where he is today, the grind to get here has prepared him for anything life may throw his way.
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