By Nathan Farmer
BYU Football was able to reap the rewards of the transfer portal Wednesday, announcing the signing of transfer running backs Christopher Brooks from Cal and Houston Heimuli from Stanford. The two former rivals will bury the Stanford Axe and team up to bolster the Cougars’ backfield heading into the 2022 season.
The 5-foot-11, 265 pound fullback won’t be the first in his family to suit up for the Cougars. His father, Lakei, played for BYU from 1983-1986, was an integral part of the 1984 national championship team, and currently ranks 7th all-time in career rushing yards. His uncle, Hema, also played for the Cougars from 1991-1995. Houston joined Ben Criddle to discuss what brought him back to Utah to play for the team he grew up rooting for.
“Watching BYU, I just watched the physicality of their offense and the physicality of their running backs,” said Heimuli. “I felt that this was a place where I could fit in, and not just fit in, but do what I can to help.”
The fullback prepped at Bountiful High School and was touted as one of the top fullback recruits in the nation in the 2015 class. Heimuli mentioned that Kalani Sitake played a major role in choosing to return to his home state and play for BYU.
“Within the Polynesian community, he’s had such a great effect. Especially talking to him on the phone through the process, he was very respective of this process of coming to BYU. You respect him because he’s a great coach and a great man. The coolest feeling is I didn’t feel like a small player, just chatting with him you feel comfortable. It’s easy for me to get along with him and make me want to play for him.”
Heimuli graduated from Stanford with a degree in human biology, and has hopes of being a pediatrician once his playing days are over. He served his mission in Indianapolis from 2015-2017.
You can listen to the full interview with Houston Heimuli on ESPN 960 below.
If you love our content, please support our sponsors. We can’t produce our show and articles without our sponsors. They are also an official sponsor of the BYU football team. This article is brought to you by Built Bar, built.com. Use “Criddle10” coupon code for 10% off your order.
