BYU's 6-7, 410-lb nose tackle is on campus and smushing RBs (Video)
Two and a half years after he signed his letter of intent, Motekiai “Mo” Langi is on the practice field for BYU and is already smushing running backs.
On signing day in 2015, Langi’s story made headlines for his sheer size alone. He is listed at 6-foot-7 and 410 pounds. He puts that size to use in this clip from BYU practice on Monday:
TACKLE: @MotekiaiLangi with the arm tackle during @BYUFootball Training Camp. #GoCougs #BYUFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/McSNQFW8TH
— BYU Cougars Video (@BYU_Video) August 8, 2017
Yes, that is one large man, but his story goes beyond his size. The native of Tonga had never played a snap of football before when former BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall offered him a scholarship. Cougars assistant Steve Kaufusi, still with the program on the staff of Kalani Sitake, spotted Langi playing basketball during a recruiting trip to Tonga and thought he was very light on his feet for his size.
Langi is a relative of former BYU star and current NFL player Harvey Langi, so there was a connection to the school, but it wasn’t until he stopped on campus on the way to beginning his LDS mission in Phoenix, Arizona, did Mendenhall offer him a full-ride.
Langi has since completed his mission and is on campus at BYU, playing nose tackle. He’s still learning the game, but Sitake said Monday he is “getting better every day.”
Here are a few other clips of Langi in practice. He definitely moves well for his size, though he may not have the quickest burst off the line of scrimmage just yet. He’s only been putting on the pads for a few weeks, so that’ll come with time.
: @MotekiaiLangi looks pretty good coming out of a 3-point stance. #CampKalani pic.twitter.com/vPYpoP2i3L
— Sean Walker (@RealDSean) August 8, 2017
Great stuff from @byuphoto. Mo Langi tries on his helmet yesterday and gets his size 16 shoes. #BYUSN #BYU pic.twitter.com/zEZZiYudG1
— Jarom Jordan (@jaromjordan) July 27, 2017
@MotekiaiLangi pic.twitter.com/6iePU0lOwa
— Sean Walker (@RealDSean) August 8, 2017
He makes a few appearances in this video, too:
Can we please find my man a bigger helmet?
LOOK
AT
HIS
FACENO HELMET IS SAFE pic.twitter.com/xgJ4nZ1nFH
— All Blue Everything (@BYUAllBlue) July 28, 2017
For more BYU news, visit CougarNation.com.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!