Sataoa Laumea took some time to answer questions on a conference call with Seahawks media following the draft.
9 Siblings
Yes, that is correct, Laumea comes from a big family that includes six brothers and 3 sisters, and Laumea is the third youngest.
Laumea said that all of his siblings played sports at one point and that being from a big family of athletes is competitive.
"Getting food was competitive," Laumea said. "When eating cereal, they were finishing the box before I even grabbed my bowl and spoon. It was very competitive."
His oldest brother is 36 and his youngest sister is 21.
Dual-Sport Athlete in HS
Laumea grew up in Southern California and went to Eisenhower High School and was part of the track team as well as the football team. In track, because of his size, he was a shot put and discus thrower. And he also had a short stint in wrestling his freshman year, but stopped because of football.
"My head coach had me quit because I was losing too much weight, because as an O-lineman he wanted me to be like 300 pounds but the max for wrestling is 280 and I was losing a ton of weight wrestling." Laumea told KUTV in an interview.
Laumea helped Eisenhower to win the 2018 Division 10 CIF SS Football Championship in 2018 and was also the All-CIF Southern Section Division 10 Offensive Player of the Year.
Family Ties in Seattle
Besides being an NFL player, one thing Laumea is looking forward to about Seattle is being closer to some of his family. Laumea said he has aunts that live in the area. "It feels good," Laumea said. "I have some family members that I'm close to out there and I won't be too far from all my siblings, so it's a good balance."
Accolades and Awards
Spending five years at the University of Utah and playing in 45 games with 44 consecutive starts, Laumea was a four-time All-Pac-12 awardee and earned first-team honors in 2022. Also, in his time at Utah, Laumea was a Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll for two academic years. Laumea said his desire to be a good football player comes from his love for the sport.
"I just want to play good football, that's what it is. I want other people to watch, when they watch film, (I want them to say) 'Damn that's some good O-line play right there.' That's what I want to do, I just want to be great. To be great, I have to be nasty sometimes, that's where that drive comes from."
The Seahawks selected Utah tackle Sataoa Laumea with the 179th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Check out the best photos of the 6th rounder from his college playing days.
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea (78) sets up to block in front of Florida defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp (94) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Utah tight end Thomas Yassmin (87) and Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea (78) line up for a play during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Washington State, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
Utah Utes Football vs. Oregon at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT on Saturday, October 28, 2023. Sophia Kuder/Utah Athletics
Utah Utes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on Monday, January 2, 2023. Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
Utah Utes vs. Arizona State Sun Devils at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT on Saturday, November 04, 2023. Keller Nienau/Utah Athletics
Utah tight end Logan Kendall (32) and Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea (78) speak during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Washington State, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
Utah players, including tight end Dallen Bentley (88), offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea (78) and offensive lineman Michael Mokofisi (52) huddle during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Washington, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea (78) in the first half during an NCAA college football game against Arizona, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
National offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea of Utah (73) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea poses for a portrait at the NFL football Combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Doug Benc/AP Images for the NFL)
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea participates in the bench press at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Utah offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
