New Bears on the Block: Cal Frosh DL Tiumalu Afalava

Frosh Cal defensive lineman Tiumalu Afalava‍ was one of the earlier commits for the Bears last season, committing after a couple of visits north to Berkeley out of Bishop Amat High School in La Puente.

"Last summer I went during one of the junior days and when I got here it was a great environment," Afalava said. "I love the bay. The environment's nice and the weather's nice. When I connected with the coaches, it was nice. It was all-around good environment to be around. It was nice."

In 21 varsity games played the 3 star D-lineman had a total of 67 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks and fielded offers from an impressive list of suitors, including Michigan, Georgia, Florida State, Miami, Ole Miss, Louisville and more.

Recent Cal running back Damien Moore also hailed from Bishop Amat and helped get the program on the radar for the future Bear.

"Yeah, we heard a lot about him down at my high school,” Afalava said. “And seeing him, it really was inspiring to see that someone from my high school made it and they're living their dreams playing D1 football. It was a nice thing to see."

The transition from SoCal in NorCal has been smooth for the new Bear.

"The transition has been nice," Afalava said. "It's good to stay in California, but for sure, the weather I think is a little better than SoCal. But it's been a good transition. It's been really smooth."

Some of things Afalava’s most enjoyed so far?

"Probably just being able to meet the whole team and get a feel for how it's going to be throughout my four years here for sure," Afalava noted. "Just being able to live out a nice college experience. I get to see it from the athletic side but also an academic standpoint, too."

Academics also played a big role in Afalava’s commitment to Cal as a 4.0 gpa student in high school.

"For sure, you get the best of both worlds really, with a great academic institution like Berkeley and also a good football program," Afalava noted.

The bonds he’s formed with his classmates has also made the transition easier for the new Bear.

"Oh, yeah, for sure," Afalava said. "We all hang out together all the freshmen so it's been nice to hang out with them and get to know them better."

Working with DL coach Andrew Browning has also been a highlight for Afalava.

"Just things like learning the playbook really and being able to get stronger in the weight room,” Afalava noted as some of the biggest takeaways working with his new coach so far. “Just like simple things like that. I think he definitely can critique the little things for sure.

"Go Bears!"

Related:

Bishop Amat DE Afalava Makes it 6 For Cal