Posted by SJSdude on 8/29/2007, 6:31 am Andrew Seumalo has found success with help from his father, an OSU assistant BILL POEHLER August 29, 2007 ADAIR VILLAGE --Andrew Seumalo has moved many times during his childhood. There always were new places to learn about and new people to meet when his father got a new job and the family relocated to a new city. For the first time since Seumalo entered high school, the senior will be at the same school for more than one year: Santiam Christian High School. For once, Seumalo knows the buildings, the teachers and other students. "The kids here at Santiam Christian are great," the senior said. "They welcomed me as soon as I came here. It's been great getting to know the people who go here at Santiam Christian." When your father has a job like Seumalo's father, Joe -- the defensive line coach at Oregon State -- you are bound to relocate. Seumalo spent his first year of high school at San Luis Obispo High School, which as about 1,500 students, while his father was working at Cal Poly University. Seumalo played on the freshman team. His sophomore year was spent at Valley Christian High School in San Jose, Calif., which has about 1,000 students, while his dad was at San Jose State. Seumalo played JV and practiced with the varsity team during the playoffs. His father got the job at Oregon State, and again the family moved and Seumalo appeared at Santiam Christian, a school of about 300 students. He never had played in a high school varsity game, but he soon was one of the team's best players. "Let's face it, the kid was 6-5, 260 and could move," Santiam Christian coach Steve Woods said. "Put that anywhere in Oregon, just about, any school and you're going to do fine." As a junior last year, Seumalo was a Class 3A first-team all-state selection on the offensive and defensive lines and was the 3A lineman of the year. He made 59 tackles, including a staggering 23 sacks and had a fumble recovery. Part of Seumalo's easy transition is that he had worked with his father. It helps when your father not only coaches, but was a lineman in college at Hawaii and played professionally in the Canadian Football League and NFL Europe. "During the summer, he's always giving me help," said Seumalo, who has two younger brothers, Isaac and Noah and a sister, Jessi. "He's probably my most influential person in my football life and my life in itself. "He helps me out tremendously, and it's great to have a coach at home because he can just show you what you're doing wrong and what you need to get better at. This is what you need to be to get into college. It's really great." In Seumalo's first year at the school, the Eagles made their first state championship-game appearance, losing to Nyssa 7-6. It was no coincidence. "Any time you get a good kid like that who can do a lot of different things," Woods said. "It was good. He made our whole line better because he has such great technique. He had been well coached and everybody stepped up." The chances of Seumalo repeating his lineman of the year award might have dimmed. Seumalo moves off the offensive line to tight end. The Eagles return no starting or key skill position players from last year, so Seumalo will play a bigger role this year. To that end, Seumalo has trimmed down to 225 pounds from the 260 he played at last year. "It's going to be a transition, but I got most of it down, you still have to block when you're a tight end," Seumalo said. "Plus being around football my whole life because of my dad has pretty much caught me up to where I need to be. I'm still learning a few things like the plays, but other than that, I'm pretty confident in my abilities." Seumalo still will play on the defensive line, and that's likely what will take him where he needs to go for his next move: college football. No one can doubt he has the ability to play there. "He's just got outstanding technique, great footwork, he has a real presence, knowledge about what to do, hard worker," Woods said. "Great personality, kid's like him, he's a real leader this year. He stepped up and is one of our captains."
Link: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070829/SPORTS/708290434/1018
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Ex-SJSU D-line coach Joe Seumalo will want his son to play for his former coach and mentor, Dick Tomey:
Making an easy transition
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