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The University of Utah Athletics
Camp Report Day 9: Pita Tonga Is A Utah Man
8/9/2019 1:22 PM | Football
SALT LAKE CITY – It was a beautiful day in Salt Lake City today for Utah football's ninth practice of fall camp with sunshine and temperatures in the mid-70s. The Utes will have one more practice on Saturday before moving into their third and final week of fall camp on Monday.
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For episode seven of Football Camp Report with Bill Riley, the voice of the Utes chatted with defensive lineman John Penisini.
Friday Features
Pita Tonga: Becoming A Utah Man
The recruiting process for most student-athletes can be grueling with campus visits, phone calls from coaches and eventually making the decision that will shape the next four years of their lives. That process was no different for junior defensive tackle Pita Tonga, but the actual decision part was already ingrained in his blood.
Tonga comes from a long line of Utah greats with his father and uncles playing football and his mother being a standout basketball player for the Utes. While most athletes recruited to play at Utah step foot on campus for the first time as freshmen, Tonga got his first taste at just seven years old.
"The very first time I put on pads and played football was when I was seven and it was actually at a Utah football camp for little kids," he said. "I was able to get in and play as a little leaguer here."
His first experience with football and his already deep passion for the Utes would go on to ignite a dream in the Taylorsville, Utah, native. He was an all-state selection at Highland High School as a senior after racking up 55 tackles that included 17.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, putting him on the radar of several schools in the region.
When it came down to it though, Tonga's decision was easy.
"Utah was always my No. 1," Tonga said. "My father played here, my uncles played here, my cousins were already here when I was in high school. This was always my first choice. Other schools came and talked to me, but Utah was where I wanted to be to play with my family and play in front of the rest of my family."
Tonga's father, Pita Tonga, Sr., played football at Utah from 1988-92 and led the Utes with 94 tackles in 1990 while his mother, Susana (Tauteoli) Tonga, was a key contributor for the women's basketball program from 1991-93, earning all-conference honors. With such an athletic family, Tonga knew he was destined to have a career in sports as well.
"I think I have traits from both my mom and my dad," he said. "Both of them are very athletic. I definitely got my size from my mom's side of the family, but I have my dad's football knowledge to help me be able to succeed in the sport."
Tonga has not only succeeded on the field, but he has also been the definition of a student-athlete, earning first-team Pac-12 All-Academic honors in 2017. He is currently pursuing a degree in family consumer science and also working to earn his certificate in financial planning while balancing his demanding athletics schedule.
"I think that if you are able to get good grades while coming here and completing your goals with football, I feel like you are a successful student-athlete," Tonga said. "It is hard enough going through the schedule here and then balancing that with school, but a successful student-athlete uses those years to get a meaningful degree."
On the field, Tonga is coming off his sophomore campaign that saw him play in 13 games with six starts. Despite missing Utah's game against USC with an injury last season, he was able to rack up 12 tackles that included 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks along with his first-career interception against Washington.
Tonga has played in 24 career games for the Utes with his junior season getting started in just 20 days when the Utes take on BYU in Provo on Aug. 29. His journey to becoming a Ute was set in stone at a young age, but getting to put on the No. 49 jersey every Saturday is still something he cherishes every day.
"Utah has meant a lot to me," he said. "I grew up a hardcore Utah fan. I would come to the stadium for every game, watching the players and just dreaming about putting on a uniform here one day. I am so glad that I got the opportunity to do that."
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Running into the weekend like...@jason15shelley pic.twitter.com/MO78iWs9ix— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 9, 2019
For episode seven of Football Camp Report with Bill Riley, the voice of the Utes chatted with defensive lineman John Penisini.
Friday Features
Pita Tonga: Becoming A Utah Man
The recruiting process for most student-athletes can be grueling with campus visits, phone calls from coaches and eventually making the decision that will shape the next four years of their lives. That process was no different for junior defensive tackle Pita Tonga, but the actual decision part was already ingrained in his blood.
Tonga comes from a long line of Utah greats with his father and uncles playing football and his mother being a standout basketball player for the Utes. While most athletes recruited to play at Utah step foot on campus for the first time as freshmen, Tonga got his first taste at just seven years old.
"The very first time I put on pads and played football was when I was seven and it was actually at a Utah football camp for little kids," he said. "I was able to get in and play as a little leaguer here."
His first experience with football and his already deep passion for the Utes would go on to ignite a dream in the Taylorsville, Utah, native. He was an all-state selection at Highland High School as a senior after racking up 55 tackles that included 17.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, putting him on the radar of several schools in the region.
When it came down to it though, Tonga's decision was easy.
"Utah was always my No. 1," Tonga said. "My father played here, my uncles played here, my cousins were already here when I was in high school. This was always my first choice. Other schools came and talked to me, but Utah was where I wanted to be to play with my family and play in front of the rest of my family."
Tonga's father, Pita Tonga, Sr., played football at Utah from 1988-92 and led the Utes with 94 tackles in 1990 while his mother, Susana (Tauteoli) Tonga, was a key contributor for the women's basketball program from 1991-93, earning all-conference honors. With such an athletic family, Tonga knew he was destined to have a career in sports as well.
"I think I have traits from both my mom and my dad," he said. "Both of them are very athletic. I definitely got my size from my mom's side of the family, but I have my dad's football knowledge to help me be able to succeed in the sport."
Tonga has not only succeeded on the field, but he has also been the definition of a student-athlete, earning first-team Pac-12 All-Academic honors in 2017. He is currently pursuing a degree in family consumer science and also working to earn his certificate in financial planning while balancing his demanding athletics schedule.
"I think that if you are able to get good grades while coming here and completing your goals with football, I feel like you are a successful student-athlete," Tonga said. "It is hard enough going through the schedule here and then balancing that with school, but a successful student-athlete uses those years to get a meaningful degree."
On the field, Tonga is coming off his sophomore campaign that saw him play in 13 games with six starts. Despite missing Utah's game against USC with an injury last season, he was able to rack up 12 tackles that included 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks along with his first-career interception against Washington.
Tonga has played in 24 career games for the Utes with his junior season getting started in just 20 days when the Utes take on BYU in Provo on Aug. 29. His journey to becoming a Ute was set in stone at a young age, but getting to put on the No. 49 jersey every Saturday is still something he cherishes every day.
"Utah has meant a lot to me," he said. "I grew up a hardcore Utah fan. I would come to the stadium for every game, watching the players and just dreaming about putting on a uniform here one day. I am so glad that I got the opportunity to do that."
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