PROVO — This is a tale of two BYU football players who play the same position. One recently returned home from a mission, while the other one has just begun his two years of service.
Sophomore nose tackle Romney Fuga, who played as a freshman in 2006, served in the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission and returned June 30, 2009. Senior nose tackle Russell Tialavea entered the Missionary Training Center exactly six months later, on Dec. 30, 2009, to prepare to serve in the Chile Santiago West Mission.
During the 2009 season, they cultivated a close friendship on the football field and through conversations about the mission field. Fuga and Tialavea spent this past fall playing together and talking a lot about missionary work as they helped the Cougars to an 11-2 record.
"We talked about it all the time," Fuga said. "That's all we ever talked about, about my mission and the experiences that I had. When I heard he was going on a mission, I was really excited for him. I'd tell him stories and fun experiences, to let him know that the mission is a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun. I think he knows he's going to enjoy it. He's prepared well for his mission."
"I just can't wait. I'm anxious to go," Tialavea said days before BYU's 44-20 victory over Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 22, 2009. "It's all I think about."
Fuga's a good one to talk to. His mission was chronicled in the pages of ESPN Magazine.
Intrigued by the sacrifice of LDS young men who take two years away from sports and personal priorities, reporter Gare Joyce selected Fuga to convey the story behind that sacrifice.
Fuga was humbled that he was chosen, since more than 52,000 missionaries serve around the world.
"The writer from ESPN was impressed that student athletes would give up their sport or career for a two-year mission," Fuga said. "He was amazed by it. I got lucky to get picked by him. I didn't think my sacrifice was greater or less than any other missionary. I just happened to be there. He came to BYU and asked for players serving missions — chose me probably because of where I served, one of the farthest places away."
Toward the end of Fuga's mission, an ESPN photographer journeyed to Madagascar, an island nation near the southeast coast of Africa, and took photos of Fuga at work. Not long after Fuga came home last summer, Joyce interviewed him about his experiences. Fuga's commentary, and a photo essay, appeared in the Sept. 7, 2009, issue of ESPN the Magazine.
"It was a good experience. The article turned out really well," Fuga said. "It explained how mission life was and the time and sacrifice it takes to go on a mission."
Fuga said his mission taught him valuable lessons he'll never forget.
"Poverty was a big problem in Madagascar," he said. "There are a lot of poor people. The thing that challenged me the most was the language (Malagasy). I'm not a language guy. I did get it eventually. I enjoyed every minute of my mission. I'm grateful for the experiences I had."
Tialavea, meanwhile, came to BYU in 2005 without any intentions of serving a mission. After a redshirting first season, Tialavea was suspended during the spring of 2006 for a violation of team rules. He sat out the 2006 season-opener as part of the suspension, but came back to turn in a strong season.
A key contributor to the Cougar defense, Tialavea suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee at camp in 2007.
After months of grueling rehab, Tialavea said the knee injury ended up being one of the best things that ever happened to him. By working hard and making changes in his life, that experience turned out to be a defining moment in his life.
"The ACL thing probably helped me out the most," said Tialavea, who started 12 games in 2008 season for the Cougars. "It changed my whole life pretty much, along with all the help from coaches and other players."
Last summer, Tialavea decided to serve a mission rather than play this season. He received his mission call and was scheduled to enter the MTC in November.
It was a decision that caught BYU's coaches off guard and appeared to leave the Cougars a little short-handed at a key position, but they supported Tialavea's desire to serve.
"It's never my place to tell him, or any player, to stay. Who am I to get in the Lord's way?" said defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi. "Even though Russell made that decision late, I was happy. I never once felt like it was the wrong timing. Some kids aren't sure about serving a mission when they're 19. Personally, I'm hoping all of the kids to go on missions because I went on one and it was a great experience for me. The growth that takes place, they need that in their life and the foundation it builds for the rest of their lives."
Then, the day before fall camp started in August, Tialavea announced he had postponed his call about six weeks so he could play in 2009.
During a 54-28 loss to Florida State, Tialavea, who was BYU's starter at nose tackle, suffered a minor knee injury, which sidelined him for a few games. It was Fuga who replaced him in the lineup, and he performed well in Tialavea's absence.
"Romney's done a great job," defensive end Jan Jorgensen said during the season. "It's been incredible for him to be able to come home from his mission this summer and for him to be playing the way that he's playing, it's incredible. It says a lot about him and his work ethic. He's done an awesome job."
For Fuga, the transition from missionary to college football player was a challenge, but he adapted well.
"On your mission, you're always working hard, so I was working hard every day," he said. "The only thing that was different was the physical part about it. Once I got out here, it was different because it was a lot more physical. The mission is more spiritual, football more physical. I think I transitioned pretty well, better than I thought I would."
Tialavea returned to the starting lineup late in the season and helped the Cougars hold their final five opponents to an average of just 16.6 points per game.
While Fuga is preparing to take over as BYU's starting nose tackle next season, Tialavea is finishing up his first week at the MTC. Before the end of the year, Tialavea said he was glad he spent one more season with his coaches and teammates. Not only was he able to play football, but he believes that extra time will ultimately help him be a better missionary. Tialavea frequently talked to teammates who served missions to Chile, and he worked on studying Spanish when he could.
Because he missed the 2008 season due to injury, Tialavea is hoping he'll get back one more year of eligibility so he can play one more season, in 2012, after he returns from his mission.
But no matter what happens with his football career, Tialavea is at peace about what his mission, and life, has in store for him.
"(The Las Vegas Bowl) might be my last game," he said. "I'm thinking more about my mission. You never know what will happen. I'm just excited to be able to go on a mission."
e-mail: jeffc@desnews.com