BYU senior safety Raider Damuni’s job on the field is all about stopping opposing offenses and laying down hits hard enough to separate the ball from a body. But his preparation for this upcoming season, his “last blast” at BYU, was a world away from the gridiron. Damuni just got back from a humanitarian trip to Tonga with head coach Kalani Sitake and a few teammates, an experience he called “game-changing.”
The Mission Beyond the Field
This wasn’t some typical summer workout plan; it was serious. Damuni, Coach Sitake, and six BYU football players were in Tonga, not just putting on a football clinic and a fireside, but advancing the mission of BYU-Pathway Worldwide across the island nation. The trip even included a ribbon-cutting for a new employment center, all designed to help BYU-Pathway graduates find work. Damuni gets it, too: he’s seen his own family members thrive after going through the program, getting jobs and crushing it after not going to college right out of high school. That’s the vision, he says. This whole effort was a partnership with the We Are One Foundation, with former Cougars Isaiah Kaufusi and Connor Pay involved, and Coach Sitake chairing the board. When Damuni says, “When we play, we represent not just the people in Provo and Utah, but we represent the church and our faith and our faith is worldwide,” you know this trip was more than just a goodwill visit. It’s about leveraging their platform as BYU football players for a global impact.
Finding Purpose On and Off the Island
For Damuni, visiting Tonga wasn’t just a first, it was a profound homecoming of sorts. He had already served the Tongan people during his mission in the San Francisco area, so he knew the language and culture. But being there, on the island, changed everything for him. He said it reminded him of being on his mission again, serving people, visiting hospitals, saying prayers. “I felt like I was on the Lord’s errand,” he said, calling it “huge” for him. He was blown away by the happiness of the Tongan people. They don’t have much, certainly not as much as folks back home, but “their faith is their main thing,” according to Damuni. He learned a ton from them, seeing the example they set for faithfulness. He called it the “biggest blessing,” especially sharing that experience with his teammates and Coach Sitake. This isn’t just about preparing for football; it’s about preparing for life, and that kind of perspective? That makes a player dangerous in more ways than one.
Fall Camp is Coming
Now, after a summer of service and profound personal growth, Damuni shifts back into full football mode in just two weeks. That’s when the Cougars report to fall camp to gear up for their Sept. 5 home opener against Utah Tech. Damuni, who celebrated an interception against West Virginia last season, is about to bring everything he learned in Tonga to the field. What he felt for the people there, that love and connection, he hopes to bring that same energy and spirit to his teammates in Provo. You can’t put a price on that kind of leadership.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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