His parents, Jackson and Theresa Unga, and his uncle, former Weber State and NFL running back Fine Unga, all stood in the background watching an NFL pro day workout unfold.
Nearby, a contingent of Polynesian cousins, friends and other relatives cheered after and during drills.
At the center of it all was Harvey Unga, BYU's all-time leading rusher, picking up his cleats and laying them down in a closely scrutinized job interview, a performance that could go a long way toward determining his future, if any, in the NFL. The league's supplemental draft is next week.
Unga equaled his lifetime-best bench press, 19 reps of the 225-pound weights. At 244 pounds, Unga's 35-inch vertical jump was also his lifetime best, as was his 9-feet, 6-inch standing broad jump. Several stopwatches had him timed at 4.7, 4.63 and 4.53 in the two organized 40-yard dashes.
This hot July day was not the way it was supposed to be.
Unga was supposed to be preparing to extend his record-breaking career as a BYU running back and working toward his senior season when camp opens in August. He was supposed to graduate in December, be invited to the NFL combine after playing in some postseason senior all-star games and get a good workout regime going to prepare for that combine.
But a violation of BYU's honor code, now widely accepted to be sexual relations outside of marriage, which is forbidden for BYU students, prematurely ended Unga's college career. After Unga and BYU basketball player Keilani Moeaki voluntarily withdrew from school for violating the code April 12, BYU officials ruled Unga could not apply for readmittance until January 2011.
Moeaki gave birth to a baby boy on July 4. They named him Jackson, after Harvey's father. The couple could be married as early as next week after the NFL supplemental draft.
"I'm glad to come out here," said Unga. "I'll pray for the best and just see what happens."
Unga told reporters he was grateful that 20 NFL teams showed up at BYU's practice facility.
"They came out when they could have been golfing or on vacations or with their families.
"I'm just looking for a shot, an opportunity, an open door," said Unga, who doesn't know if he'll be filed by NFL folks as a tailback or fullback.
"I have to get everything I can get from the situation I'm in."
When asked what scouts thought of his dismissal from BYU, he explained it didn't make sense to many of them, who are not from Utah and live far outside Utah Valley.
"They come in asking the same things, what happened, and they are kind of shocked. It's kind of a joke to them," Unga said. "They think it's funny I left for the reasons I did."
But while some in the Polynesian community believe BYU made an example of Unga because of his high profile, he doesn't see that at all.
"I made a mistake and I'm dealing with it, making the best of it," he said. "I have no regrets, just trying to make the best of what's about to happen, and I'm looking ahead. As far as I'm concerned, I'm a Cougar at heart, cheering hard for them. The road has just taken me on a different path, and I have to make the best of it."
But is he bitter or angry?
"If I was bitter, that would be a mistake," he said. "I'm grown-up now, I'm a man. I'll deal with it. I signed an honor code when I got here. I had a violation. It is what it is. But for me to be bitter, that's absolutely not the case. I love this university, I love the team, my coaches and the organization, and I'll stand behind them. I just must make amends for what happened."
When asked to explain his off-field ordeal or BYU's reaction, he declined.
"I plead the fifth on that one. I feel that is between me, my fiancé, our family and the Man upstairs," Unga said. "I apologize for not answering, but like I said, that is between us. She is my fiancé. I'm looking forward to raising my son."
Unga said now that all the drama is over, being a father is his present life.
"By far, worth it. For those of you who have children, obviously it is one of the most special experiences you can have," he said. "Gratefully, he's healthy, she is healthy, and it's an exciting time."
Unga said he doesn't really look back too much at the past. "What happened, happened — it was a while ago. Obviously, I wish I could have finished up with my team, but that's not happening.
"Being bitter? That's not me. To be bitter would be childish."
Unga said he hopes his BYU legacy will be to be remembered as a friend, that people can call him and count on him in the future to answer.
Unga's agent, Eric Metz, said the feedback he's had is the same that can be seen on film — a guy who has run for more than 3,500 yards and scored 45 touchdowns.
"You can see it on tape where he catches 102 balls, but they're not all right here," Metz said. "That, coupled with his great character, makes for a great prospect."
Metz, who is also agent Arizona Cardinals free agent Max Hall, said Unga has run a faster 40 time. "He's not an excuse-maker. I am his agent — that's my job."
Unga's trips to Chicago in recent weeks to be with Moeaki and the birth of his son took its toll, plus he is nursing a sore, sprained ankle.
"You can see in his short shuttle, in his vertical (leap) and his broad jump the explosion he has," Metz said. "We thought he'd run in the 4.5s.
"Nobody can predict the future. What you see is a great young man who has handed a situation very well, and that bodes well for how he'll handle any situation in his pro career."
Metz told reporters Unga will "absolutely" get drafted somewhere, saying he's talked to some general managers and personnel directors face to face.
On Unga day, the bottom line? He accounted for himself.
What more could one ask?
e-mail: dharmon@desnews.com