This month will be a busy one for 17-year-old Ralph Manuma Taufaasau. Having recently returned to the territory this past Monday night after representing American Samoa in the JPS Classic in the Aloha State, the Samoana High School senior will be heading out to the University of Hawaii (UH) this Friday to take a tour of the campus, before flying out to the Pacific Northwest to peep the scene at Washington State University (WSU).

Whether he will be a Rainbow Warrior or a Cougar — is yet to be decided.

“He’s just a very humble kid,” said Ralph’s father Wallace Taufaasau yesterday in response to Samoa News inquiries. “Very shy and timid.”

Those who know that 6-foot-4 gentle giant from Pago Pago describe him as a kind-hearted person that does what he is told.

Ever since he was six years old and attending Uifaatali Peter Coleman Elementary School in Pago Pago, Ralph has always had a love for football.

And why shouldn’t he? After all, he comes from a long line of football players and avid fans of the game.

His father Wally played for the Marist Crusaders back in the late 1980s. Every year during that time, there was always a new player sporting a Taufaasau jersey for the blue and yellow.

Wally and all his brothers were part of the Crusaders squad, back when the Catholic school was an all-boys institution based in Malaeloa, and when they were actually a force to be reckoned with on the football field.

The Taufaasau brothers — Milton, Vincent, Wally, Ronald, and Ralph — all attended and graduated from Marist High School, where they all played football, and excelled at it.

Now here comes the second generation of Taufaasau kids and things aren’t any different. Apparently, Ralph isn’t the only one who inherited the football bug.

His older brother Edward also played for the Samoana Sharks and departed the territory after graduation to attend New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) where he graduated this past summer with an associate’s degree. Edward has since transferred to Dixie College in Utah where he will continue to play football and pursue his education.

This past week, a newspaper in Hawai’i reported that Ralph has committed to the University of Hawaii’s Rainbow Warriors, but according to Wally, “it’s just a verbal commitment.”

As with the rest of aspiring football players across the country, Ralph has until February 1st to make a decision.

National Signing Day is usually the first Wednesday in February, the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding Letter of Intent for college football with a school that is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The event is widely followed by sports fans and the media and Samoa News will be waiting — and watching.

This Friday, Ralph will fly out to Hawai’i to check out the campus of UH. He returns Monday night and then flies out again next Friday, accompanied by his father, to scope out the WSU campus. Busy weekends and a lot of traveling will be a part of Ralph’s schedule for the next two weeks.

It’s a whirlwind of activities for the high school senior who is tackling midterm finals this week.

Ralph caught the eye of football coaches after his remarkable performance in last week’s JPS (Jr. Prep Sports) Classic in Honolulu, HI where he was part of Team American Samoa. Although the team lost both games, the exposure for players like Ralph was exactly what the local coaching staff and parents were hoping for: A chance to get our local youth out there to show off their talent and skills on a stage where they can be seen and appreciated.

Ralph’s parents are proud of their son’s accomplishments but stand firm in keeping him grounded, staying humble, and praying that everything works out.

Ralph is the third child of Wally and Jane Manuma Taufaasau. He has one brother, Edward, and three sisters: Genesis, Esther and Megan.

Samoa News and the rest of the territory wishes Ralph the best of luck in whatever he decides to do.

Good luck Ralphy! O ou mama na.