| GETTING TO KNOW TONGA TEA JR. |
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 When you follow the journey that Tonga Tea Jr. has taken, you can easily be convinced that he travels for a living or was brought up in a military family.
After being born in Maui, Hawaii, then spending the majority of his teen years in Anchorage, Alaska; relocating to tiny Ephraim, Utah to attend Snow College, and finally landing in Stillwater, Oklahoma to attend and play for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Tonga has covered alot of miles since he was born. The answer is no he doesn't travel for a living, and was not brought up in a military family; just a young man trying to utilize his talents to get a good education, and make something for not only himself, but his family.  When Tonga Tea went to school in Alaska, he did not play sports, though he can easily be mistaken for one of the football players in school (standing at 6'1" 300 lbs). It wasn't until his senior year in East Anchorage High School that Tonga decided to try out for the football team. "I just wanted to stay out of trouble, and I saw my friends playing football, so I decided to give it a try," recalls Tonga. "I got into alot of trouble so I saw football as a way out." He adapted well to the game, and earned the respect of coaches and the media around the state by receiving all-state honors in his first year of ever playing football. It also brought the attention of major colleges around the nation.Before he can decide on a college to attend, he had to take care of his grades in the classroom. Tonga was behind in his class work, so he did not meet the NCAA requirements to attend college, so he was able to attend an alternative school, and he was accepted to attend Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, one of the top junior colleges in the nation. In 2005, he received a medical redshirt his freshman year, Tonga was able to contribute to the team the following year; just his second year of playing organized football. "When Junior(as what he's like to be known) first came to Snow, he was very raw." said Snow College Defensive Coordinator Jason Ah-You. "It took a little while for him to adjust to the collegiate level, but the more times he was on the football field, the more confidence he grew into being a real good player." By his sophomore season, he earned the respects of opponents' coaches, players, and the media as he earned All-American honors. Also scholarship offers were pouing in from some of the top Division 1 programs in the nation, especially the Pac-10. Tonga stunned everyone by accepting the first offer he received: from Oklahoma State Universtiy in Stillwater, Oklahoma. "I wanted to go there because I really enjoyed the team camaraderie, and everyone was like one big family." Tonga said. "Plus one of my teammates gave me some good feedback about Oklahoma." (that would be former OU defensive end and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year CJ Ah-You, who was a sophomore at Snow when Tonga was a freshman) In 2007, his first year at Oklahoma State, he contributed as a reserve on the defensive line, and entered this season as  one of their starting defensive tackles. "We look for some great things from Tonga, especially his leadership skills." Oklahoma State Defensive Coordinator Glen Spencer said. "He's not a real vocal player, but he leads by example. He won't tell you what to do; he'll go out on the field and show you."His dedication on and off the field has not gone unnoticed. This past summer, while most of his teammates went home, Tonga stayed on campus to work out, and become more of a student of the game. "Everyday, I would see him in the weight room working out." says Oklahoma State University Media Relations Director Gavin Lange. "I could see that he was determined for a great senior season." This December, he will add to his family history by not only being the first in his family to attend college, but will receive his degree in Education, along with being the first Tongan to play football for the University of Oklahoma State. (Tonga is the sixth of eight children of Tonga Sr. and Folaolela Tea) VOT SPORTS: What are some of your goals for this year? Tonga: Win the Big 12 South VOT SPORTS: What do you want to do in five years from now? Tonga: Own my own landscaping company. VOT SPORTS: What is your favorite book? Tonga: The Bible (Editor's note: Special thanks goes to Gavin Lange. Your help reflects the kind of character that is inside the Oklahoma State athletics department. Without you, this article could not be written.) src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
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