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20 Questions: Getting to know the Cougars with Lorenzo Fauatea

By Darnell Dickson - | Aug 16, 2022

Ted S. Warren

BYU defensive lineman Lorenzo Fauatea watches from the sideline late in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Washington, Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, in Seattle. Washington won 35-7. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

You can find plenty of stories from the media during fall camp about position battles and what the coaches think about practice.

Where else but the Daily Herald can you find out who talks the most trash or who’s the best dancer?

As a break from the grind of fall camp we’d like to provide helpful information for BYU fans who want to get to know the players better, so it’s time for our annual “20 Questions” feature.

It’s simple, really: We asked a defensive player (senior defensive tackle Lorenzo Fauatea in this case) 20 questions about his teammates and then we asked an offensive player (senior running back Lopini Katoa) the same 20 questions. The results are a quick snapshot of the personalities that will be crossing the goal line and making tackles in 2022.

Let’s start with Fauatea, who is grateful to be healthy for his final college season. On Thursday, we’ll come back with an offensive perspective from senior running back Lopini Katoa.

1. Daily Herald: Who’s the biggest hitter on the team?

Lorenzo Fauatea: “(Fr. DB) Michael Harper. Michael Harper is the biggest hitter on the team. That’s facts.”

2. DH: Who’s the fastest player on the team?

LF: “I would say it’s (Jr. DB) Jacob Boren. He can really move side to side and he can return kicks, too.”

3. DH: Who’s the craziest? (The Justin Luettgerodt Award)

LF: “The craziest guy in the team I would say is (So. TE) Carter Wheat. Everything he does, he does it like a rock star. He’s always hyped, always crazy, always yelling.”

4. DH: Who is the most talented in something other than football?

LF: “I would say (Sr. OL) Joe Tukuafu, (Sr. FB) Houston Heimuli or (So. DL) Logan Lutui. They can all play guitar by ear. They can just listen to a song and play it.”

5. DH: Who’s the smartest? (The Matt Bauman Award)

LF: “It used to be Theo Dawson or J.T. Gentry (who are no longer in the program). But I would say the smartest guy on the team right now is (Fr. QB) Jacob Conover. I don’t know what he’s studying but I know he’s a smart man.”

6. DH: Who’s the smoothest with the ladies?

LF: “I would say it’s (So. DS) Austin Riggs. He’s deadly with the ladies.”

7. DH: Who THINKS he’s the smoothest with the ladies but really has no game?

LF: “That would be (Jr. FB) Masen Wake. He thinks he can get all the ladies he wants, but he can’t.”

(At that point Wake walks by and defends himself: “I can get all the ladies but I have a girlfriend that I love.” Good save, Masen.)

8. DH: Who does the best coach impression?

LF: “That would be me, Lorenzo Fauatea. I can be Kalani Sitake or Ilaisa Tuiaki. I can just do one or I can do both. I don’t think I should give you an example. It could be adult-rated.”

9. DH: Who talks the most trash?

LF: “That’s got to be (Jr. OL) Harris LaChance. He’s a good dude but on the field, he’s always talking trash. But, hey, everybody talks trash out there.”

10. DH: Who’s the quietest?

LF: “I would have to say it would be (So. DB) Jakob Robinson. That guy is just quiet. I don’t really know what he’s doing or what he’s thinking. He’s just sitting there. You say ‘hi’ and he just says ‘hi’ back.”

11. DH: Who’s the best dancer? (The Ben “Mongoose” Criddle Award)

LF: “That would be (Sr. DL) Alden Tofa. He’s a big guy but his nickname is Fuego Tofa.”

12. DH: Who’s the worst dancer?

LF: “For sure it would be (Jr. WR) Puka Nacua. He thinks that he can dance but it’s really, really off.”

13. DH: Who’s the funniest player on the team?

LF: “Funniest guy on the team has to be (Fr. WR) Cody Epps. He’s just random. Everything he does is random. He’ll come up you, not say a word and just start dancing right there.”

14. DH: Who drives the ugliest car? (The JD Falslev Award)

LF: “That would be (Fr. TE) Ethan Erickson. He has stickers all over his car. He has a sticker that says, ‘Wear a mask or don’t enter.’ It’s a four-door jeep and looks like it was spray painted black.”

15. DH: Who’s the best at video games?

LF: “I would have to say me. Anything 2K, UFC and Madden, I can play.”

16. DH: Who’s the best dressed?

LF: “That has to be (Jr. LB) Jackson Kaufusi or Harris LaChance. Both of them come fitted every day. During fall camp you’re supposed to wear slippers because you’re just taking off everything but they wear their nice Nike shoes.”

17. DH: Who’s the best looking? (The Matt Berry Award)

LF: “Best looking guy on the team has to be Lorenzo Fauatea. I think his number is 55? I think he’s the most handsome.”

18. DH: Who’s got the messiest locker? (The Bracken El-Bakri Award)

LF: “It would be between (Sr. DB) D’Angelo Mandell or — sorry, buddy — Houston Heimuli. Those two have really dirty lockers.”

19. DH: Who’s the best basketball player?

LF: “Has to be (Jr. OL) Blake Freeland or (So. WR) Talmage Gunther. Blake is like a Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets). Talmage is a like (former Utah Jazz) Matt Harpring in his prime.”

20. DH: Who’s most likely to be a millionaire in something other than football in 20 years? (The Taysom Hill Award)

LF: “I would have to say (Jr. QB) Jaren Hall. I feel like he has the connections and he has the resources. He’s a talkative guy and can make connections with anybody. I could see him being a millionaire.”

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