Ta'iTa'i Uiagalelei On His Year At Washington: "What I Got Out Of It Was Way More Than I Asked"
After one season on Montlake, Washington defensive lineman Ta'iTa'i Uiagalelei is looking back at his time with the Huskies and man, he's got nothing but love for the place. The veteran talked about his Pro Day prep, what his younger brother is about to experience as a Husky, and a freshman who's about to blow up. Spoiler: he's not leaving Seattle without a burger.
Grinding For Pro Day and Embracing the Flexibility
Uiagalelei has been locked in down in Southern California, putting in work with elite track guys and dialing in his diet. "Just been working every down with SPEED," he said. "Early morning workouts, that diet, meal plan that has been getting me right. Learning some of the little tweaks has been really cool." When it comes to position, he's keeping it simple: "Honestly, I just want to play football. Put me on the field, I'll be happy to be there and give you everything I've got."
He's currently sitting at 270 pounds and isn't worried about what a team asks of him. "Whatever a team wants me to do, whether it's gain weight or whatever, I'm really flexible with that." The 40 and 10 yard split were his focus coming into testing. "I wanted to show how I could run a little bit, get that stride going," he explained. As for his first meal post testing? "I kinda forgot what a burger tastes like, so I might go get a burger. In-N-Out sounds really good right now."
His Brother's Following Him To Washington, and A Freshman To Watch
Uiagalelei's younger brother, Matamatagi Uiagalelei, is heading to the Huskies next, and Ta'iTa'i couldn't be more hyped. "He's going to love it here. I'm so excited for him. Seattle is a cool place. Just being here, being on the field, he's going to love it." He made sure his brother made his own choice though. "It was honestly his own decision. I let him do his thing. I told him to pray about it and it was between him and the Lord and the family."
As for his scouting report? "Honestly, you might be getting a better player than me. He's smaller than me right now, but he works really hard. 6'4", lanky, shifty pass-rusher. He's a basketball player, so he started off with the cross-over, so he's really shifty and a really smart kid."
Beyond his brother, Uiagalelei is keeping tabs on freshman guard Champ Taulealea. "He's going to be a guard and he's going to be good. He's been giving me work as a freshman last year and he's got a lot of talent and a lot of potential."
A Year That Changed Him
When asked if his Washington experience met his expectations, Uiagalelei didn't hold back. "What I hoped to get out of it was to give back to the community and get better at d-line. What I got out of it was way more than I asked. I really grew up and found out who I was. This is a great culture, a great community, coaches are great, kids are great."
He misses the people most. "Definitely the boys, the people, the community, miss my church out here. I went to church yesterday and it was really nice to be back." That's what Montlake does to you.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.