By his own admission, Steve Fifita isn't much of a talker. His soft-spoken nature belies his hard-hitting play on the football field.
"He's more of an example guy," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "He'll speak up as he feels he needs to — if he has something to say — but most times he doesn't have much to say. He leads by example."
And how.
As a junior, the tackle earned Defensive Player of the Game honors in Utah's 35-7 win over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl. Fifita has since been tabbed as the Mountain West Conference's top defender, a preseason accolade that followed similar recognition from several media outlets.
"I'm not really into awards and all that," said Fifita, who isn't letting a future NFL career cloud his mind either. "I've got my eyes on something I want to go after."
And that, he insists, is continued success at Utah — nothing more, nothing less.
"That's it," Fifita said after Saturday morning's session of camp at Ute Field.
Utah's lone returning first-team all-conference performer, who made nine stops behind the line of scrimmage in 2004, has a perspective that Whittingham and defensive coordinator Gary Andersen appreciate.
"Steve Fifita is a guy that handles success well," Whittingham said. "He's come a long way since he's been here. He had a wild streak in him when he first got here. He had a little bit of a contrary attitude, but now there's not a more focused, dedicated player on our team.
"It manifested itself when he was voted team captain."
Fifita, a 6-foot, 322-pounder from Huntington Beach, Calif., is stepping into a leadership role former teammate and New York Jets draft pick Sione Pouha held last season. Andersen considers it a natural move.
"I think he's accepted that role," Andersen said. "He knows it's something he needs to do."
Even so, don't expect Fifita to be more vocal.
"I'm just going to keep on trying to take care of me, do right by me, and hopefully everyone will just follow," Fifita said. "I'm not big on talking and I'm not big on getting in people's faces. I'll just take care of myself and we'll be OK."
Outside stuff like newspapers and magazines have no place in Fifita's world. He refuses to be bothered by such things — especially when it involves the Utes as a whole. Despite 16 straight wins over two seasons, Utah failed to crack the top 25 in the first preseason coaches poll.
Mass departures, from head coach Urban Meyer to quarterback Alex Smith, have altered the landscape for Utah.
"I think a lot of people are talking it up like we are worried about it," said Fifita. "But everybody's got confidence in themselves and as long as we've got confidence in each other we'll be all right."
It's something the coaching staff has in Fifita.
"I can't say enough about him," Whittingham said. "We're looking for a heckuva senior year out of him."
E-mail: dirk@desnews.com