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year ago, they hardly imagined it could be possible. "I wouldn't have believed it, to be honest," says Damien Mama.

"I probably would have laughed a little bit," agrees Viane Talamaivao. "I would have laughed a little bit and said, 'Wishful thinking.'"

The idea that Mama, Talamaivao and Toa Lobendahn -- close friends and three of the country's elite interior linemen, all ranked among the five best offensive line prospects in California in the 2014 class according to Rivals.com -- would not only be playing together at USC but each starting games as true freshmen was inconceivable. Yet four games into the year, that is exactly what has happened, with Lobendahn entrenched at left guard, and Mama and Talamaivao splitting starts at right guard. There are any number of reasons that contribute to their bond, with all three playing the same position in the same recruiting class, hailing from the same part of the country and, of course, signing on to compete at the same school.

But one factor in particular is responsible for that connection, one they also share with fellow freshman and wide receiver Juju Smith: A common ancestry that not only ties them to each other but also to some of the greatest players to ever suit up in Cardinal and Gold.

"Just being Polynesian, it's something special that we hold tightly," says Mama. "They're my brothers, pretty much."

Such strong unity comes from remote beginnings. Polynesia is comprised of more than 1,000 islands scattered across the Pacific Ocean and though Hawaii is the most well-known, two other islands -- Samoa and Tonga -- have blossomed into football hotbeds despite totaling less than 400,000 residents according to the 2011 census. Although each island has its own distinct culture, they also share myriad commonalities, beginning with a fierce devotion to family and community. It's that togetherness that bands those distinct heritages together, particularly when families leave the islands. Whether they are Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian or something else entirely, they proudly bear the joint banner of being Poly.

"We come from a small island and pretty much everyone knows each other when you move to the States," says junior fullback Soma Vainuku, "You don't really see Polynesian people and that's when it's like real big on family and everything... You see another Poly guy, family or anything, you go up to him and say 'What's up,' you give him a hug -- you may not even know him. It's a sign of respect to let you know that you're not out there alone. "

With one of the highest concentrations of Polynesians in the mainland United States, Southern California is a region where they are most often found together and so, sooner or later, the best athletes usually find one another. Mama and Talamaivao grew up together in the Inland Empire, for instance, but they didn't meet Lobendahn until midway through their high school careers, while Smith didn't know any of the linemen until the ninth grade. Yet by the time they were seniors, they had become close enough to envision playing together at the next level. Together with Notre Dame signee Tyler Luatua, Oregon State's Kammy Delp and former USC commit and eventual Oregon signee Austin Maloata, they took to calling themselves The Uce Crew, with uce being short for 'uso,' the Samoan term for brother. Lobendahn, an early enrollee at USC, has often been cited as the ringleader in their recruiting process, one who gently reminded the others of the unique opportunity that they had to play together, though careful never to push too hard. When Mama, Talamaivao and Smith eventually signed on to join him, they did so with football reasons in mind but also considered the move from the perspective of their culture, the one that breeds family, community and togetherness.

"We're comfortable, we're home, we're with our family. You can't ask for anything better," says Smith. "I didn't want to go to a school where I didn't know anybody and [would] be alone... If I was to go into an alley with my boys, I have a lot of trust and faith in my Poly guys to get my back."

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hat Lobendahn, Talamaivao, Mama and Smith chose to stay together at USC, of all places, was no accident. The quartet was well aware of the university's legacy of Poly players, one also upheld on the current roster by Vainuku, J.R. Tavai and Su'a Cravens but dates back generations before them, too. It is a mantle that all of them understand is much greater than themselves.

"Respect your elders is probably one of the most important things," says Cravens. "Coming here, I felt like I was following a tradition of Polynesians."

It began in earnest 40 years ago, with the arrival of fullback Mosi Tatupu in 1974. Though the native Samoan would earn his greatest accolades in the NFL as a Pro Bowler for the New England Patriots, he played for two Rose Bowl teams in his USC career and would later inspire the Mosi Tatupu Award -- given to college football's premier special teams player from 1997 through 2006 -- in his honor. Junior Seau, a Polynesian icon and perhaps the greatest Poly player of all time, came in the late 1980's and was a unanimous All-American in 1989 before becoming an eight-time NFL All Pro. Pete Carroll's dynasty leaned heavily on Polys, with All-Americans in the defensive backfield (Troy Polamalu), the offensive line (Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui) and linebacker (Rey Maualuga and Mosi's son Lofa Tatupu), to say nothing of a whole cadre of Tongans in the latter part of the last decade. Although not an every year staple of recruiting- there are currently no Poly players committed to USC in the 2015 class -- they are intertwined with many of the highest peaks in the program's history, and regularly dot the roster with contributors.

It is comfort, even more than legacy, that makes it possible. Just as the younger players honor their elders, the older players in turn shoulder the responsibility of mentoring the generation behind them. In Vainuku's case, that meant Maualuga, his cousin, offering guidance about the school and introducing him to Stanley Havili, one of Vainuku's predecessors at fullback and an eventual older brother figure. Today, as one of the elder statesmen, that means looking out for the incoming freshmen, something that started by befriending them on their unofficial visits to campus as recruits and later volunteering to host them on their official visits. Now that they're part of the team, he invites them over to his house for dinner, all in the name of making them feel as at home as possible.

"With Polynesians, I think that's how you get a real good view of someone," he says. "I literally talk to them every day, show them everything, bring them in close. I tell them 'Guys, y'all are my brothers,' and we mean that stuff to the fullest. We talk to each other like we grew up together but it's only been three or four months."

It is a special branch of the Trojan family, one in which he, Tavai and Cravens are the patriarchs for the four kids who are away from home for the first time. Such comradery is hardly exclusive to the Polynesian players -- Vainuku is especially close with Randall Telfer, for instance, and credits former tight end Rhett Ellison with being his foremost mentor, while Cravens palled around with Dion Bailey upon arriving last year. But it also means a little more when Cravens takes Smith under his wing -- "He's a big little kid," Cravens says of his protégé -- or for Vainuku, an especially proud Trojan who relishes USC's history, to share the legacy of the program with their fellow Polys.

"If you don't have that tradition, what are you doing?" he wonders.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the youngest Poly Trojans are exceedingly aware of the standard they have to live up to.

"We know and it's a lot of pressure," says Smith. "But at the same time, we love the pressure on our shoulders that Polys have made a big impact in this school. We're getting ready to make a big impact."

One could argue that is already the case, with each one having started games as true freshmen. Yet they are thinking even bigger. Smith was singled out in fall camp by Sarkisian as having the potential to play on defense as well as offense, and perhaps that comes in time after Adoree' Jackson has already lined up both ways. For the 370-pound Mama, it's even larger goal down the road: An all-Poly interior line, one that was constructed over the summer during player-run practices with Talamaivao lining up at center and Mama and Lobendahn flanking him at the guard spots. He knows it may never happen but why not dream big after achieving so much, so soon, with a group so close?

For now, though, he's content to take things day by day, learning and growing with the rest of the Uce Crew at the ultimate haven for Poly players.

"It's been a fun process," he says. "It's been special."