Star Lotulelei owes NFL Draft status to Bingham influence Article

[TheRumGone]

A nice article with some commentary from his HS coach.

 

Peck continued, "I mean, there were times when we’d watch him do something and say, ‘Whoa, man, that was incredible.’ He had those moments."

 

"Lotulelei transformed from the "tall, skinny kid" that former coach Frank Bramall remembered being incredibly shy as a freshman. "He went from this timid kid to just terrorizing on the field."

 

"By his sophomore year, Lotulelei had grown from about 210 pounds to 240 and "turned a 180," Bramall said, becoming more outgoing."

 

"No longer is a 2.0 GPA acceptable for football eligibility. The standard is 2.5, in the interest of better preparing athletes for college. Having committed to BYU, Lotulelei failed to meet NCAA requirements. He joined Utah’s program only after attending Snow College."

 

"We needed to do more for these kids," Peck said. "We needed to expect more. … There was more than one time when I had [Lotulelei] in a room like this, and he was in tears, because I was this close to saying, ‘If you don’t get it done in the classroom, I’ll get rid of you right now.’ "

 

"Lotulelei stuck around, completing a high school football career that began at Timpanogos in Orem. That school produced Paul Kruger, a Super Bowl champion as a Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman"

 

Here is the whole article:

 

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/56208385-77/lotulelei-peck-utah-bingham.html.csp

 

 

 

 

Edit: Here is another great article from 2011

 

"Not only did the Utes watch Lotulelei take his play to another level, the Pac-12 also got an eyeful as he dominated the line of scrimmage in Utah’s new conference. His impact was such that not only did Lotulelei win a slew of postseason honors — he’s still being talked about by former Pac-12 players."

 

"Offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom, who was drafted by Oakland in the third round of the 2012 draft, said he is asked about Lotulelei almost more than himself when he runs into fellow linemen."

 

"At the combine and other places, they all want to know about him," Bergstrom said. "They all talk about how tough he was. For us, he set the gold standard in practice. We knew if we could move Star, we could move anyone. He is a freak of an athlete, but he’s a real mature guy, too."

 

Helping anchor Lotulelei is his wife, Angelina, who was a volleyball player at Snow College.

 

In an effort to maintain some level of privacy — and perhaps anticipating what is to come — Lotulelei wants to keep wife and his daughters, 3-year-old Arilani and 1-year-old Pesatina, out of the spotlight. However, it is obvious from the way his face lights up when discussing them just how much of an influence his family has been on him.

 

"They are the reason I work so hard," he said. "It’s hard on them when we are out of town so much in the season, but I want to take care of them."

 

 

"A humble guy verging on shy, it will probably be easier for Lotulelei to handle opponents on the field than all the attention that will soon come his way. A wild time for him is hanging at home with his kids, playing video games."

 

"As for his game, Lotulelei admits he knows he is taking a risk of a possible career-ending injury, but he decided playing his final year, plus earning his degree in sociology, was worth the danger of suffering a potential injury."

 

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/utes/54224892-89/lotulelei-utah-star-defensive.html.csp?page=1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cary Kollins]

Dude has got tree trunks for arms.

[NCstoner420]

Dude has got tree trunks for arms.

Wrong thread

[The Golden Child]

nice links. thanks

[PantherFeez]

Thanks for the article Rum. Love Star man, his tape is amazing and I'm still shocked that the Jets took Richardson over him. All the Panthers seem stoked that he was drafted too

[rscott94]

Thanks for the article Rum. Love Star man, his tape is amazing and I'm still shocked that the Jets took Richardson over him. All the Panthers seem stoked that he was drafted too

I was freaking out until the commissioner said "Sheldon Richardson" then I busted out laughing.... Thank you Jets!

[TheRumGone]

His mentality kind of reminds me of Kuechly. Quiet and unassuming, than the monster within comes out on gamedays.  I don't think we should expect DROY, but i think he makes a significant impact immediately in the run game. He'll disrupt running lanes for sure. 

[NCstoner420]

His mentality kind of reminds me of Kuechly. Quiet and unassuming, than the monster within comes out on gamedays. I don't think we should expect DROY, but i think he makes a significant impact immediately in the run game. He'll disrupt running lanes for sure.

Suh won and I think this line is better than the Lion's line that year.

[2jakefansinva]

I still can't believe there were scouts saying that Floyd was the superior DT.

Star is bigger, stronger and more explosive off the snap, and has the higher ceiling. The guy is incredibly athletic for a 320 lb'er. Once acquires a few pass rushing moves, he'll be tripled teamed constantly.

 

he has a better story off the field.

[TheRumGone]

Suh won and I think this line is better than the Lion's line that year.

 

Suh was on another level than Star when they both entered the league. It's just hard for a DT to gain the stats to get the award.

[NCstoner420]

Suh was on another level than Star when they both entered the league. It's just hard for a DT to gain the stats to get the award.

 

I agree but Star has two very good defensive ends which will free up blockers to allow Star one on one battles. The potential is there for him to put up some good numbers.   

[MHS831]

When I saw the Jets picking in front of us, I thought, "Dang. Star is a no brainer for them...That works to our advantage."  Richardson is a good player and he has a high motor, and as of today, nobody has played a down.  However, they traded for The Golden Calf of Bristol, drafted Coples (who they are now begging to work out), and did not fire Ryan.  How smart is that front office?

[jarhead]

I still can't believe there were scouts saying that Floyd was the superior DT.

Star is bigger, stronger and more explosive off the snap, and has the higher ceiling. The guy is incredibly athletic for a 320 lb'er. Once acquires a few pass rushing moves, he'll be tripled teamed constantly.

The whole Floyd thing was very bizarre.It was like out of nowhere the media decided to crown him as the best DT in the league.