WSU’s Lesuma back for Cal game
Back injury has kept OT out
PULLMAN – Vaughn Lesuma is a hill of a man. At 6-foot-4 and 323 pounds, he hasn’t yet reached the mountainous status of some of the Pac-10’s offensive tackles, but he’s no bump in the road, either.
So it’s a little surprising such a large man could be held back by, of all things, his back. But that’s been the case the past few weeks as Lesuma, Washington State’s starting left tackle, missed three weeks of practice and last week’s season-opening game with a balky back.
But Lesuma is ready to return to the Cougars’ starting lineup today when WSU hosts the California Bears in the conference opener for both. It’s a little surprising to him he’ll return as one of the offensive line’s veterans.
“It’s funny how time changes things, huh?” said Lesuma, a 26-year-old who found his way from Fiji to Hawaii to a California junior college and finally to Pullman after a Latter-day Saints mission. “Faster than some of us want. … (But) it’s time to grow up and move forward. That’s the whole college experience, to get you ready for life.
“You come in, you learn and then you grow up and then you leave whatever you can behind and, hopefully, it was positive.”
Some of the change was expected, like the graduation of left guard Bobby Byrd, a five-year Cougar who helped Lesuma adjust to Pac-10 football last year. Some was unexpected, like the retirement of senior right guard Dan Rowlands and the knee injury suffered this week by new left guard Andrew Roxas.
“Some (guys) are here as a redshirt freshman, having just come in to learn the game and now they’re starting,” said Lesuma, who started all 12 games last year. “It’s a learning experience that’s going to challenge them. … Opportunity is being presented to a lot of guys and we’re going to find out who is responding well to it.”
It’s mentioned to Lesuma that the Bible says faith can move mountains, but he’s asked if it can dislodge a 300-pound defensive lineman?
“(Religious scripture) also says faith without works is dead,” Lesuma said, laughing, before pointing at the Cougars’ practice field, “so we’re putting in the work here now, that’s for sure.
“But it’s going to test a lot of these guys to see where they are in their life right now.”
For Lesuma, that’s protecting quarterback Gary Rogers’ blind side, and being a mentor to new starting guard Steven Ayers.
“Now that Ayers is (at guard), we’ll be having some big conversations … about what’s going on,” Lesuma said.
It’s a simple task, really – just figuring out how to work together to move another mountain.