Brighton's Ricky Heimuli Picks Oregon

There was a lot of quacking going on at the Heimuli family home on Tuesday.
On the eve of National Signing Day, Brighton star Ricky Heimuli stood in the living room of his home in Glendale in front of roughly 40 family members and announced that he will be playing college football at the University of Oregon.

"I chose this school 'cause it was what I felt inside, not 'cause what anyone said," said Heimuli. "I want to thank Heavenly Father for giving me the blessings to come this far."

Heimuli made his intentions official this morning when he signed a letter of intent during a ceremony at Brighton High and faxed it to the football offices of Pac-10 champion Oregon.

Heimuli had narrowed his college choices down to Oregon, UCLA, Utah and Washington, but in the end he felt most comfortable being an Oregon Duck and playing for Oregon defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro.

"I feel comfortable with this decision, 'cause I got to know my position coach the most. He's the one who recruited me," said Heimuli.

It wasn't just a matter of Azzinaro putting on a nice recruiting show either. Heimuli's older brother Sefo played at East High back in 2002 with Will Takuafu, who just finished his senior year at Oregon. Throughout various conversations, Takuafu said playing for Azzinaro was a special experience, and that "he knows what he's talking about."

Heimuli is ranked as the 88th best recruit nationally — eighth at his position — by rivals.com, and many figured he'd follow in his cousin Latu Heimuli's footsteps and sign at the University of Utah. It seemed logical as well since he played with Utah coach Kyle Whittingham's son, Alex, at Brighton High the past few years and formed a nice bond with the Ute family.
In the end though, Heimuli believed leaving the state and his tight-knit family was best for him.

"Utah is close to home, but I honestly feel that it's too close. I want to be able to go out and explore the world," said Heimuli. "The sooner I start the sooner I can get used to it and get less home sick, 'cause I'm probably the biggest mama's boy."

At Eugene, Ore. — a campus that Heimuli says is the perfect size — he'll be forced to become more independent.

The 18-year-old will compete for playing time right away as well. Oregon graduated most of its depth on the defensive line last season, and Azzinaro has informed Heimuli that he will step right in and compete for playing time.
After his freshman season, Heimuli plans on serving an LDS Church mission like three of his older siblings, including two brothers who are currently in the mission field.

Unlike many athletes who commit much earlier in the recruiting process, Heimuli was committed to weighing his options as long as possible. Even as late as 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, despite dozens of family members arriving at his home for the announcement, Heimuli sat in his basement bedroom pondering what to do.

"It was very tough, I had a lot of coaches calling me," said Heimuli.

Eventually, a joyful Heimuli emerged from his basement bedroom content in his final decision and declared himself a Duck to his family — most of whom cheered and quacked with approval.

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2010 US Army All-American Bowl Preview

2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl set for January 9. 10th Anniversary Game Celebrates a Decade of Athletic and Soldier Excellence. 

The following are the Polynesian athletes that will be participating in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

VJ Fehoko
LineBacker

Farrington High School | Honolulu, HI

V.J. put together back-to-back All-State seasons. He played more outside linebacker but could wind up playing inside linebacker in college. He does a great job of playing off blocks and making tackles from sideline to sideline. He totaled 86 tackles, 10 sacks, and one interception in his Junior season. ”He is an instinctive, tough, and aggressive linebacker, who consistently makes plays from sideline to sideline, all game long.

Ricky Heimuli

Defensive Line

Brighton High School | Salt Lake City, UT

Heimuli has the size and strength to bull rush his way back to the quarterback, as well as impressive speed to help chase down the ball carrier. He gets a good jump on the snap and uses quick hands to help him maintain separation. In his sophomore year, he recorded 57 tackles (seven for losses), 4 ½ sacks and one interception. As a junior, he totaled 40 tackles (ten for losses) and five sacks. “Heimuli is one of the best defensive players to come out of Utah in quite some time. He’s impossible to block with his bull rush and strength that is unmatched by anybody in the nation. He’s also a very intelligent defender and knows what it takes to make the big play at key times.”

Sione Potoae

Defensive Line

Lakes High School | Lakewood, WA

Potoa’e is an active player that uses his quickness off the ball to get penetration in the gaps. He explodes off the ball low and with good pad level, and uses his pads very well to keep separation. He is always around the ball, and sheds blocks effectively before wrapping up the ball carrier. As a junior, he recorded 44 tackles and two sacks. “A physical and aggressive ball player, he shows good backside pursuit and at all times he is moving towards the ball. A relentless playmaker.”

Ross Apo

Wide Reciever

The Oakridge School | Arlington, TX

Apo displays good stance and start, exploding off the ball and getting into his route quickly. With his size, he is a massive target across the middle and down the seam. He has deceptive speed, and covers a lot of ground quickly with his long stride. He is a great red zone target because of his height and leaping ability. As a junior, he hauled in 37 passes for 764 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. “He competes for the ball in flight and is at his best in tough situations. He can hurt you in underneath zones, he’s the consummate wide receiver who does whatever it takes to improve his game.”

Heimuli is an All-American

Representatives from the U.S. Army All-American Bowl made a stop in Utah on Tuesday to officially announce Salt Lake City Brighton defensive lineman Ricky Heimuli as a member of the West roster for the 2010 edition of the game. In front of his teammates and school peers, Heimuli accepted his selection and reiterated a desire to work hard and represent his school and state well.

The excitement of the occasion was evident as Heimuli was flanked by family and friends Tuesday morning and he sees it as an opportunity to compete against the nation's best.

"I just get to go out there and play against some of the best in the nation," commented Heimuli.

For the humble 280-pound lineman however, it's easy to keep things in perspective considering all the attention he has received during the past year.

"I just see it as going out to have fun doing what I love to do," he said. "I really don't know what to say, I'm speechless right now. I want to thank the school for supporting me. It's a great opportunity."

Heimuli has been playing organized football since he was eight, and comes from a bloodline of football players. In the state of Utah, the Heimuli name is practically synonymous with football these days, considering Heimuli's uncles both played collegiately and his cousin, Latu Heimuli, currently plays for Utah.

Recruiting has kept up a rigorous pace with 22 offers and counting now for Heimuli, his most recent offer coming in from the East Coast.

"The newest one is West Virginia," he said. "I'm starting to do my research on them. I've gotten a few calls from the coaches, and they seem pretty nice."

Of the 22 schools vying for Heimuli's services, the schools he seems to be hearing the most from these days are Washington, UCLA, USC, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

So with schools coming and going, has Heimuli gotten to a point where he is ready to narrow his list from 10 down to five?

According to Heimuli, things have changed since he eliminated schools in August, and now he has opened things back up.

"That top 10 stuff was just to kind of get everyone off my back," admitted Heimuli. "They kept on bugging me so I just threw out a few names, but everybody still has a chance - I'm still considering all schools."

Looking ahead, a decision for the Rivals100 lineman will most likely not come until Signing Day if things keep going the way they are.

Said Heimuli, "Right now I'm pretty sure I'm going to be dragging this out until February."

When pressed about where his coaches and teammates want to see him end up, Heimuli indicated one school in particular seems to be brought up more than any other.

"A lot of the (coaching) staff members are thinking I'm going to go and play for USC," he said. "But I told them I don't know yet."

For now, the focus for the highly sought-after lineman will be getting his team into the state playoffs. The Brighton Bengals will face off against cross-town rival Jordan High School Tuesday night in a playoff elimination game.

"We just need to go out and play how we usually play. We sometimes step down to their level, but we just need to stay on our level and that way we can win."

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