Mason Mini, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Growing up in Pacifica, CA allowed me to develop strong values in hard work, loyalty and humility. That small coastal town has a tight-knit community and almost everyone knows each other. Regardless of where football takes me, I will always claim to be from the Bay Area and proudly represent my hometown.

My family and I have lived in Pacifica all our lives. Being able to return "home" to play college football close to them provides an unexplainable feeling. My family has supported me throughout my journey and has always been there for me.

Competitive sports were a big part of growing up for me. Prior to focusing primarily on football, I participated in basketball, baseball and soccer. I enjoyed competing regardless of which sport I was participating in.

Football came into my life a bit later. I participated in flag football from grades 6-8; however, it was not until my freshmen year at Terra Nova High School did I participate in tackle football. In hindsight, I am happy things happened as they did. I did not view football as a guarantee when I was growing up. As such, I had to learn how to play, improve each year, and earn every opportunity that presented itself.

Playing against Half Moon Bay High School (my rivals) in my senior season is still one of my favorite memories. Rivalry games are very different. The whole town gets behind your team, and defeating them with my teammates is a memory that I will never forget.

I would like to make it clear that I was by no means one of the top recruits coming out of high school. Actually, I received limited attention from colleges. Terra Nova High School is a relatively small school and I became the first Division I football player from my high school in many years.

Entering my senior year, I began attending camps and eventually began receiving interest from several smaller Division I schools. At this time, I realized that my dream of playing college football could potentially happen.

Ultimately, I ended up having only one Division I scholarship available to me: the University of Idaho. Some may see that and wish they had more choices; however, I viewed it differently. All I required was just one opportunity. The University of Idaho provided me with that opportunity and I will forever be grateful for it. My red-shirted freshmen season provided me with valuable knowledge regarding collegiate football and what is required to compete daily. However, after the first season, I felt compelled to test myself at the highest possible level. That is when Cal entered the scene.

Choosing Cal was about a whole lot more than football for me. The first thing was coming home. Being able to have my family and friends cheering for me every home game is a feeling I don't ever take lightly. I grew up right next door to Cal and now wear Cal on my jersey. It is truly amazing.

Cal is one of the top public schools in the country; getting to go there and earn a degree will be an honor I am very proud of. I am majoring in American Studies with a focus in Finance. I know that football isn't going to last forever. My goal is to make it into the NFL when I'm finished playing. After that, I would like to get into either Finance or Real Estate. I would like to be as successful off the field as I plan to be while I'm playing.

In addition to being able to pursue education and play football at Cal, I thought highly of the traditions of this program. There were so many talented athletes who have gone through Cal; I wanted the ability to be able to write my own chapter in the history book.

Last year was a big stepping stone for me. Playing for a small school, I knew I had a chip on my shoulder. Each and every day, I wanted to show my teammates, coaches, and everyone else who watched us play that I belonged in this league and could compete with anyone.

Having that mentality each and everyday made me push myself every day.
One of my most memorable plays was when we faced Minnesota. Scored my favorite touchdown of the year which I still feel is my best score of the season. Moments like those are why I put in the extra hours, get up before dawn, and sacrifice all the little things.

Being selected as part of the ACC Academic Team is another achievement I am proud of. Many people view only what happens on Saturdays, however achieving success in the classroom is equally important to me. This award showed me that I can perform well academically while competing at a high level in football. Something I will always be proud of.

I enjoyed spring ball because it was a completely new beginning. We got used to working under a new coaching staff and a new offense. Every practice was centered around learning how our new coaching staff runs their practices and developing teamwork within ourselves. Coach Tosh did an excellent job of instilling a sense of community among the players. One of his key phrases is "being connected," I believe this is what sets our team apart from others. He is building something unique here, and all of the members of the building share the same vision for what we are accomplishing.

As a tight end, I am looking forward to learning from coaches that have coached some of the greatest tight ends in football. In fact, my position coach has worked with some of the best tight ends in football and every day I get to learn from someone with that type of experience. Additionally, our offense has ties to the NFL and I enjoy that aspect because tight ends are expected to do everything (i.e., block, receive passes, and create mismatches). Therefore, I believe our offense gives our tight end position the opportunity to contribute significantly.

When asked by people what you believe your team is capable of doing, I simply say: anything.

I am totally confident in what the future holds for us. We have talented players; we have great coaches; and we are establishing an incredible culture that could allow for something special to develop. The next step now is to put all of those pieces together on Saturday.

As far as myself, I would like for Cal fans to be able to watch a player compete every single play, and a player they can rely upon. I feel that I am one of the top tight end players in the country, and I intend to prove that each and every week. Most importantly, I would like to contribute to helping this team win football games.

I am most excited about our upcoming home game vs. Stanford. All rivalry games are different, however, the fact that I will be turning 21 years old on the evening of the game makes this one much more memorable. There is no better place to celebrate your birthday than competing in front of our fans at California Memorial Stadium.

Outside of football, I am a very straightforward individual. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy camping, spending time at the lake, spending time at the beach, etc., essentially anything that allows me to be outdoors. Being from Pacifica allowed me to appreciate being outside as much as possible, which is why I prefer to use my free time to be outdoors as well.

Something many people do not realize is that I am a true Bay Area native. I was born in the Bay Area; I grew up in the Bay Area; and regardless of where life takes me, I will always represent the Bay Area.

In addition to providing me with an abundance of memories, football has provided me with a number of valuable lessons that extend well beyond the sport itself. Football has helped teach me discipline; accountability; and the lesson of never becoming complacent. Each and every day provides another opportunity for growth whether it be on the field, in the classroom, or as a person. Football has also provided me with habits such as waking up early; taking care of my body; paying attention to detail; and continually seeking opportunities for improvement.

These are habits that I will continue to apply throughout my entire life long after my football career comes to an end.

It is hard to fathom how quickly things have progressed for me given that my journey began in a small coastal town where I simply played sports with my friends. I did not receive any significant scholarship offers; I only received one Division I scholarship offer; and I had to work extremely hard in order to earn every opportunity that I have received.

Currently, I find myself back in the area that I call home, representing the University that I have been dreaming about representing, while competing in front of the people that have supported me since day one.

If you asked me if I wanted my story to have developed any differently, I would tell you absolutely not.

Related:

Cal DB Cam Sidney, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Kamar Mothudi, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Lamar Robinson, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Frederick Williams III, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Bastian Swinney, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Joshua Pierce, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Isaiah Crosby, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Chase Hendricks, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Carter Vargas, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

Cooper Perry, In His Words: Why I Chose Cal

AJ Tuitele, In His Words - Why I Chose Cal