JoJo Matautia is a name to be remembered in The Metro League. The senior established a legacy for himself, being named linemen of the year not one, but twice, in addition to making multiple all state teams and even receiving the title of overall state player of the year. But earning these accolades required hard work, dedication, and courage on Matautia’s part. Even still, Matautia isn’t too worried about the pressure.
The main issue for Matautia coming into high school was his size.
“My freshman year coming into high school was a struggle because everyone was older and bigger than me, so I had to go through a lot of physical and mental hurdles,” shared Matautia.
Nonetheless, the athlete knew that with hard work and dedication he could become a competitive force in the Metro League.
At a football powerhouse school like Eastside Catholic, Matautia knew that he had to work to earn a spot on the team, especially being one of the smaller players on the field. The upside of playing for a powerhouse was the positive effect upperclassman on the team had on Matautia. The young athlete watched and learned which helped him earn a starting spot on varsity his freshman year; the rest is history. One player Matautia credited with helping him learn to be great was none other than LJ lmo.
“LJ Imo had the most effect on me as an underclassman because he taught me a lot about perfecting your craft as a lineman and he would always give a good vibe with the boys and is an all-around great guy,” said Matautia.
After having a conversation with Coach Daste, the head football coach at Eastside Catholic, he reflected about Matautia in a similarly positive light.
“JoJo was a main piece in keeping our football team together and he was a great example for our underclassmen,” said Daste.
After many key players graduated in 2023, most football teams would be worried. However, Daste knew he had a guy like Matautia to help lead the Crusaders, which ensured the program would be in great hands.
Growing up surrounded by great leaders, Matautia had many role models that represented leadership skills. With his amazing parents always working hard to give JoJo the best opportunities, he knew he had to repay them with his hard work.
“My main motivation for working hard is my family and seeing my mother and father work really hard to help me. What I want in life is enough motivation for me to give back to them what they sacrificed for me,” reflected the senior.
Despite his dedication to the game, the lineman still faced some downfalls. He came up short in the semifinals his freshman, junior, and senior years. As for his sophomore year, Matautia was one play away from winning it all when a one in a million play had the Crusaders come up short in the state championship game. He might have lost the games, but he never lost his spirit, and the losses made Matautia nothing but tougher mentally.
“I’ve had many setbacks, but I never let it stop me from moving forward and keeping up my hard work,” said Matautia.
One person Matautia holds a great admiration for is NFL legend JJ Watt. Watt was someone who had to overcome many obstacles in his career; being able to see similarities in what JJ had gone through really inspired the Crusader lineman.
“One person I always looked up to professionally was JJ Watt. I loved how he transferred to Wisconsin as a small tight end and then eventually with hard work and dedication became a powerhouse on the field getting himself a spot in the NFL,” shared Matautia.
With everything starting to pay off, the senior has found himself a place to call home after high school: Idaho University. The opportunity to showcase his talents at a D.1 program like Idaho University has given Jojo even more drive. He has high expectations, as he should, heading down to Idaho.
“I would want to achieve a starting spot as soon as possible when I get over there, but in general I just want to develop as a football player to the best of my ability” explained Matautia.
Daste, who has coached at the NCAA division 1 level for various programs, knows what colleges expect. This was very valuable to JoJo on the recruitment journey.
“I know what colleges expect and what they don’t want to see. Hardwork and extreme dedication to your craft is something essential coaches look for in a college athlete. And JoJo has shown me he exceeds these expectations” said Daste.
With this knowledge from a collegiate level coach, you should expect nothing less than greatness out of Matautia in the years to come. Daste has seen many great players at various different colleges, so he knows the recipe for success.
Matautia holds additional offers from Western Oregon University, Minot State University, and division 1 program, Eastern Washington University.
The future is bright for Matautia. With the support system he has within his family and school, he is destined to do many great things in his football career. He has proven himself as a force in the Metro League and looks forward to making a name for himself at the collegiate level. With all the opportunities on the table, he looks to make the most of the next four years and is ready for what’s to come.
