Sua Filo on a mission
Almost two weeks ago Xavier Su'a Filo, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound lineman from Provo (Utah) Timpview, said that he would like to hear from the University of Southern California.
On Wednesday, not only did he get to talk with the staff, but he received an official scholarship offer directly from head coach Pete Carroll.
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"My coach left a message for me that I was supposed to call back Coach (Steve) Sarkisian," Su'a Filo said. "When I did he said someone wanted to talk to me and it was Coach Carroll, who said that he sent the offer in the mail and that he told me that he hoped that I could be a Trojan one day.
"Oh man, I was so excited and so pumped. I thought that was awesome."
For Su'a Filo, who is of the Mormon faith, his recruitment might very well come down to where he feels most comfortable with his lifestyle and desire to take a two year mission during college.
"The biggest thing with me is the opportunity to serve a mission for LDS," he said. "I know that they signed (Uona) Kavienga, and he wants to go on a mission, as well as my friend Manti Te'o and they've told him that he would be able to serve a mission.
"If I could that would make things a lot easier."
Serving a mission would certainly be disruptive to the flow of his football career, but Su'a Filo thinks that he will be better for the opportunity in the long run.
"It's a big sacrifice because you're going away for two years serving your lord," Su'a Filo said. "But they have times everyday in the morning when you can workout and stay fit, and they actually encourage us to do that.
"But basically you're spending the whole day everyday serving your mission. Going on a mission would not only mature me physically, but mentally and spiritually."
The ability to serve a mission trumps any concerns of his about playing time, depth chart or distance from home. Su'a Filo should get a feel of the atmosphere of USC and their ability to accommodate his faith when he attends one of the summer camps the Trojans offer.
"Of course I'm going to make it to a camp," he said, still excited about the offer. "I want to go to either the Offensive/Defensive Linemen Camp or the Rising Stars Camp."
Su'a Filo won't name any leaders at the moment, but he is more than ready to say how thrilled he was by the Trojan's offer.
"I was pretty shocked by the USC offer because not too many kids get offered by them," Su'a Filo said. "But the recruiting process is new to me so I'm just trying to analyze my options. I'm not leaning anywhere right now; I'm just trying to figure out what my options are.
"USC is for real, they're a good football team so it's an honor to get offered by them. They've made it a possibility to play for them and that's exciting."
At this point Su'a Filo is collecting scholarship offers from some of the biggest programs in the country. Combine his wealth of talent and his budding relationship with fellow 2009 recruit Te'o, and his recruitment should be that much more intense amongst the nation's elite programs.
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USCFootball.com will continue to keep you updated on Xavier Su'a Filo throughout the spring.