Marist Liufau after being selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Draft on Friday, April 26, 2024 (Photo by Christian Simabuku).
As a child on Oahu, an island with no major professional sports teams, Marist Liufau admits there was no NFL team to root for.
As of Friday, he is a member of America's Team.
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A linebacker from the University of Notre Dame via Punahou, Liufau fulfilled his childhood dream when he was drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
“It's just a big mix of emotions,” Liufau told KHON2 from his parents' home. “I'm happy to have this opportunity and just having a franchise like this leaves me speechless right now. All I can say right now is being with my family. .Experiencing all of this and that with my family means everything to me, so we all enjoy it together.
“Hawaii, obviously we don't have a team here, so I didn't have a team growing up here either. Now I'm a Cowboy, so that will be the new team in my family.”
Liufau, who recorded 44 tackles as a senior in 2023, showed attractive size and range at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, including six tackles with three sacks as a senior, and posted an official 40-yard dash time of 4.64 at the NFL Combine. was recorded.
Scouts expected Liufau to be selected as early as the third day of the draft, but his appearance on the second day makes the opportunity even more special for the Kalihi native.
“You always hope for the best, but with the draft you never know. I was happy to get the call today and I'm just celebrating right now,” said Liufau. “I’m just so grateful for everything that’s happening right now.
“I also talked to Jerry Jones, Coach (Mike) McCarthy and a lot of the defensive coaches. I also talked to the special teams coordinator recently and it was crazy. I was speechless at that time too. So I was just listening rather than having a conversation, but like I said, I'm very grateful for that.”
Liufau, who started playing soccer at the age of 10, decided to pursue his soccer dreams more intently in middle school. Liufo used his track and field background to train with Asai Gilman, who helped him hone his skills. As a senior at Bouffant Blue in 2019, Liufau was a consensus All-State at linebacker, choosing Notre Dame over nearly 10 other offers.
Liufau's football resume will include three major brands in their fields: Punahou, Notre Dame and the Dallas Cowboys.
“I think it's just special. It's a special opportunity, but not everyone gets to have it,” Liufau said. “It's a very hard job and requires a lot of weight on your shoulders, but I'm proud of the people who supported you and got you to that place. It's a disservice to them to let them down and succeed without doing their job and go to those different places because it's not easy to get to those places and it's not easy to be successful there. . So I have to do my part and make my family and loved ones proud.
In addition to joining the team, Liufau hopes to contribute early with the Cowboys, whether it be on defense, special teams or as a teammate.
“Whether it’s special teams or serving our veterans and teammates, that’s what I want to contribute to,” he said. “I want to contribute early and earn respect as soon as I get there as a rookie and move forward.
“The players who played with their hair on fire and their shoulders hurt are from an island like this, and it speaks for what we grew up with, the culture and values we grew up with.” itself. When I get there, they'll know what they're getting. ”
