H. Ngata...

[BigTen]

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/spor...ll/14410174.htm

 

Responsibilities weigh on huge lineman

Oregon's Ngata could fill middle for Browns, but family comes first

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

Haloti Ngata stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 338 pounds. His size 16EEEEE shoes are so huge they come shipped one to a box. His thighs measure between 32 and 34 inches, the size of many people's waists.

 

His shoulders, though, cannot be broad enough.

 

In the past four years, the All-American defensive tackle from the University of Oregon has been dealing with the deaths of his father, Solomone, 45, and his mother, Olga, 44.

 

Solomone, a truck driver, was killed in December 2002 when his rig slipped off an icy freeway ramp in Salt Lake City and rolled over several times.

 

His mother, who worked for Southwest Airlines, died in January when she suffered an apparent heart attack while undergoing kidney dialysis at a Phoenix hospital. Her poor health had prompted Haloti to forgo his final year of eligibility at Oregon just weeks before and to declare for this year's NFL Draft, which will be Saturday and Sunday.

 

``It has been tough,'' Ngata said in a February interview at the NFL scouting combine, addressing the loss of his mother. ``I'm happy she's finally somewhere she's happy and comfortable with no more body problems.

 

``My dad and my mom are finally going to see me play together.''

 

Ngata, 22, finds himself charged with providing for his four siblings. The Tongan-born Ngatas have three more boys and a girl, ranging in age from 26 to 18. The oldest son lives in Las Vegas, where Ngata said he might live. The rest are in their native Los Angeles.

 

``He has a huge extended family of cousins and relatives all depending on him,'' Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said.

 

``I went to his dad's funeral, and one (family member) stood up and said, `We're all counting on you to take care of the family.' I remember thinking, `He's 18 years old. What a difficult thing to put on somebody's shoulders. I hope he doesn't get hurt.' ''

 

Bellotti said that when Olga Ngata died, he suspected Haloti initially wanted to stay in his comfort zone at Oregon. His teammates and the Ducks' staff helped him cope when his father died after his freshman season. He lives in a house with six other massive football-playing Polynesians.

 

``But then he thought, `I've got to take over. My brothers and sisters don't have a parent,' '' Bellotti said.

 

Bellotti said Ngata has a large support system that includes his uncle Haloti, his mother's younger brother, and Larry Wilson, his football coach at Highland High in Salt Lake City. Wilson, now a teacher and rugby assistant at Highland, has been training Ngata as he prepares for the draft.

 

Wilson said that Ngata was devastated by his mother's death, but that his religious beliefs were comforting.

 

``He has deep faith and believes his mom is with his dad, and if he lives a worthwhile life, he will be reunited with them,'' Wilson said.

 

``Both deaths were a shock, but he's handled it better than the majority of people could. His head is in the right place. Life may have forced him to grow up a little sooner than he wanted to.''

 

Ngata is expected to be among the top 15 picks in the draft. The Browns would consider him if he's still available at No. 12. The million-dollar signing bonus that he would receive for being chosen in the upper half of the first round should take some of the pressure off Ngata (pronounced Na-ta).

 

``One of his real motivating factors is the opportunity to provide for his brothers and sisters,'' Wilson said. ``But he also doesn't want to make their life easy, just easier. He's not going to give his siblings money for a house or a car. That's not in their best interest. He might make a down payment for a house so they'll have a comfortable payment.''

 

If he felt the strain of such upcoming decisions at the combine, Ngata didn't show it. Although soft-spoken, he commanded respect.

 

``He has a presence about him,'' Wilson said. ``His demeanor is much louder than his voice.''

 

Said Bellotti: ``He's bigger than life. If you look at his face, you'd think he's a scholarly student or a music person. He's got a gentle manner about him. But when he gets riled up, watch out. He can take over the world.''

 

Bellotti saw that during a four-game stretch last season when, he said, Ngata was unstoppable.

 

``They practically couldn't block him,'' Bellotti said. ``They'd run a screen or a sweep and he'd make the tackle on the sideline. There were flashes I'd think, `Wow, that's pretty awesome.' ''

 

Wilson marveled over Ngata's talents in high school, where he excelled as a second-row rugby player. He also wrestled his first two years and finished second in the state. He then was forced to quit the sport because of a 275-pound weight restriction. At that time, he was 6-3 ½, 305 pounds.

 

``He was an elite high school rugby player,'' Wilson said. ``Watching him perform was just incredible. It's very, very rare to see someone of that size have that grace, agility, body control and quickness afoot. Sometimes I take it for granted.''

 

Wilson said he knew after Ngata's ninth grade football season that he had a future, so he sat him down with his parents to talk about academics. Wilson said Ngata accepted the criticism, realizing that he needed to learn how to study.

 

At Oregon, the biggest knock on Ngata has been a tendency for taking plays off. Bellotti said, ``Haloti would be the first to say he has to work on his consistency.''

 

Wilson and Bellotti have no doubt that Ngata will dedicate himself in the NFL, especially when his success will mean so much to his family.

 

``He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders,'' Bellotti said. ``But he's always made good decisions.''