At the time Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui came into this world, his grandfather fished every day to help provide food for the family.
Life was simple on the island of Ha'apai in the Kingdom of Tonga.
"It was the island life," Lutui said. "It was the kick-back mode. Nobody was trying to earn a living to be better than the next person — it was just enough to get by."
For years his father had earned an income at sea and was gone most of the time. The other main food source was whatever the Lutuis grew themselves. "We kind of survived off our back yard," Lutui recalls.
His parents wanted more for their children. So the family uprooted in 1983, trading in tropical island life for the hot desert of Mesa, Ariz.
For a while, seven people lived in a two-bedroom apartment. It took time to adjust, especially in school.
"I remember some of the kids making fun of my English," Lutui said. "At home, all we spoke was Tongan."
Tragedy struck when Lutui was in the first grade. The whole family was in a minivan when it rolled, ejecting all but three, including Lutui. A younger sister died and his father became disabled.
Then something began happening to Lutui around the fifth grade that would change his life — he was outgrowing everyone else. His mother told him it was because she ate shark meat while she was pregnant with him.
But the family still struggled financially — everyone pitched in. "I remember working a shovel at a young age," Lutui said.
His football career began taking off in high school, although academics lagged. Scholarship offers came in, but he had to go the junior college route.
Lutui played one season at Mesa Community College and then transferred last year to Snow. At 6 feet 5 inches tall and more than 370 pounds, Lutui is now a physical force.
His performance on the field meant he would become the most sought-after junior college football player in the country this past year. Next month, Lutui will start training at the University of Southern California, there on a full-ride scholarship.
But he hasn't lost his focus in the classroom. He leaves Snow with an associate degree and plans to major in sociology at USC and maybe teach someday.
"I'm doing pretty good now," he said. "I don't want to make the same mistakes I made in high school."
Then again, at age 16 he was supporting an entire family. "I had a lot of responsibilities at a young age," he said.
It figures for a man Snow College President Michael Benson describes as "one of the most courteous and kind 370-pound linemen I've ever met."
Right now, Lutui sees football as a means to fulfill his parents' dream.
"I've been blessed to earn a scholarship so I can help my parents," he said. "It's all for my parents. Their main reason for bringing me here was to go to school and get a better life — I'm going to follow through."
E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com