D.J. Uiagalelei started his first game for Clemson on October 31, 2020, against the Boston Co
The next in line for a Tigers team that has benefited from a run of talent over the previous 10 years, from Tajh Boyd to Deshaun Watson to Trevor Lawrence, he arrived at Clemson as one of the most eagerly awaited prospects in the nation.
Lawrence, the projected first-round draft pick, was forced to miss the whole 2020 season due to COVID-19, forcing Uiagalelei to step in as the starter in the midst of the campaign.
Quick Facts About David John DJ Uiagalelei’s Parents and Family
Age | April 17, 2001 (age 21 years) |
Height | 1.93 m |
Weight | 107 kg |
Parents | ‘Big Dave’ Uiagalelei, and Tausha Uiagalelei |
Sibling | Matayo Uiagalelei |
Girlfriend | Ava Pritchard |
Dj Uiagalelei Mother Tausha Became A Surrogate Six Times
D.J.’s mother Tausha put forth a lot of effort to provide her son a brighter future. Since her husband Dave worked continuously, she had to stay at home, but the family still needed money.
Tausha thus took on the role of a surrogate mother six times, bearing and giving birth to kids for parents who otherwise would not be able to. She took the action to help her husband and take care of the family’s finances.
According to the Post and Courier, his mother Tausha said that she would not have been able to complete what she did and get the children to practices or other necessary locations if she had been working a full-time job.
Uiagalelei Is Indeed Mama’s Boy
According to ESPN, Tausha Uiagalelei serves as D.J.’s reality anchor and keeps him grounded. Even D.J. has acknowledged that he resembles his mother more.
His offensive coordinator at Bosco, Steven Lo, reportedly thought of Uiagalelei as an elderly guy. Despite having seen it all, he never feels anxious.
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He always makes the initial call to his mother at the end of the day, while Tausha gives him the much-needed perspective.
When he was given the starting role at Clemson, his Instagram following skyrocketed. He wrote a message asking his followers to “go follow my mother” along with a link to Tausha’s account because he wanted to show Tausha some love.
Clemson Tigers DJ Uigalelei’s Internet Famous Father Big Dave
The father of Uiagelelei, Big Dave, once served as a bodyguard for celebrities including Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Nick Cannon, and Meek Mill. However, he gave up his lucrative job as a celebrity bodyguard to spend more time with his son.
Big Dave gave up his job as a bodyguard and became a resource officer at a nearby school when D.J., age 9, questioned his father about his frequent absences.
After he quit serving as a bodyguard for celebrities, his father, Dave, earned less money, but he still made sure his son went to camp and got the instruction he required to develop into the burgeoning football star he is today.
Big Dave told USA Today that although he was proud of his son, “D.J. doesn’t like seeing all the rankings and what people say about him.”
He went further by saying that his son will someday understand what it meant to be a proud parent. Not LaVar Ball, him. He is really appreciative to have such a great child.
Only that D.J. lived up to expectations was all he wanted everyone to know. He had been anticipating this all along. In due course, the rest of the world will learn; it was just a question of time.
His Father Dreamt To Be An Athlete
In many ways, Dave is communicating the promise he made to himself as a young athlete through his boys. He never embraced the concept of “working out” to improve his athletic prowess, which led to his expulsion from high school.
When Dave thinks back on his background, he understands that’s why he brought up his kids the way he did. He didn’t want them to follow in his footsteps. He wished for them to grab every opportunity.
D.J.’s Father Is His Vocal Supporter
A large group of supporters surrounded D.J. after a game when he visited Clemson as a recruit and demanded his autograph. To allow his child pass, Big Dave activated security mode once more and cleared the way for others.
Big Dave has a large personality, so it’s not just about his size. Nothing makes him happier than his kids, who make him happy and energetic.
Big Dave and his wife Tausha (D.J.’s mother) would always be the center of attention during his son’s game on television, and Big Dave would always be yelling and applauding.
Since D.J. was in elementary school, it has been his standard procedure.
DJ Uiagalelei’s Parents And Family Immigrated From American Samoa
D.J. Uiagalelei’s parents left American Samoa, an unincorporated U.S. territory, to provide their son a better life.
The Samoan Islands are an archipelago in Polynesia, and the Samoans, sometimes known as Samoan people, are the native Polynesians who live there.
The original islands of the group are divided geographically and politically between the Independent State of Samoa and American Samoa, an unincorporated U.S. possession.
The Samoan people and their way of life are also essential to the growth and spread of Polynesian culture, language, and religion across Eastern Polynesia.
DJ Uiagalelei’s Parents And Family Q.B.’s Parents Declined His Choice To Play Baseball
Uiagalelei had other interests before football. In truth, Mariano Rivera was prepared to fully give up the sport, along with his family and school, as a result of certain misinterpretations of his memoirs in sixth grade.
According to ESPN, Uiagalelei held a deep admiration for the star New York Yankees reliever.
He had heard that Mariano Rivera had dropped out of school at the age of 12 to concentrate only on baseball, landing a professional contract at the age of 15, saving him from the Dominican Republic’s extreme poverty.
He told his parents he wanted to drop out of school and have them send him to the Dominican Republic to play baseball full-time.
Due to his parents’ wise decision to reject that option, Uiagalelei had already developed a liking for football’s drama and thrill by the time he started high school.
Uiagalelei’s Younger Brother Matayo Has Created His Own Identity
Matayo Uiagalelei was a two-sport standout at St. John Bosco and was most known as DJ Uiagalelei’s younger brother, the quarterback for Clemson.
Regardless of class, the extremely gifted sophomore has made a name for himself in a year as one of the most flexible football prospects in the country.
Growing up, Matayo frequently heard how great his older brother was. Even though the younger Uiagalelei played a different rank, there was still a lot of conversation about whether or not he could meet that bar for excellence.
Uiagalelei grew an inch in height and 35 pounds of muscle in 2020. He is now 6-5 and 260 pounds, and the Top247 rankings for the class of 2023 have him at No. 15 in the country. He now has a college physique.
Matayo Shares His Elder Brothers’ Humility
Similar to his older brother in his modesty, Matayo admitted that he still has a lot to learn and is not happy with his present level of performance.
Despite the fact that he is aware he can play much better, he is happy with his performance in 2021. He wants to pick up speed and improve his tight-end route running.
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He wants to play more aggressively and physically on defense, according to 247Sports. Matayo hopes to develop as a pass rusher and diversify that facet of his game while keeping it straightforward.
He feels that as a pass rusher, he might often try to do too much when keeping things simple is preferable. He is certain that he can always perform better, though.
Uiagalelei said that even though he enjoys playing on both sides of the ball, he will have to choose a decision once he enrolls in college.
Who Is Dj Uiagalelei’s Girlfriend Ava Pritchard?
Born on May 2, 2000, she is the daughter of Mike Mikos and Stacy Pritchard, who played volleyball during her high school journey.
The bio for team captain for 2021, Ava, states that she participated in 26 matches, starting 24 of them, and led the team with 83 blocks and 0.95 blocks per set.
She stopped eight shots against Southern Miss and Santa Clara on September 11, 2021. (November 10). Ava played in 15 games with five or more kills and finished the season with 180 points, 130 kills, and 18 digs.
She Was A Member Of The ACC Academic Honor Roll
Ava, a member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll, ranked second in blocks per set and led the team in blocks with 54. (0.82).
She also took part in 20 matches and 67 sets in 2020.
She actually hit.700, a career-high percentage, against Charlotte (7-0-10) and had 11 kills and four block assists against Western Carolina (11-2-16), also a career-high percentage (January 23).
She then participated in the second game of the doubleheader versus Western Carolina, where she ended with 14 kills while hitting 407 in total.