Al Afalava is a senior safety on the Oregon State football team.

Afalava is known for his big hits, which sometimes draws penalty flags and the ire of opposing fans.

He served a one-game suspension for an offseason DUII charge and missed another due to injury.

Afalava has 27 tackles, seven pass break-ups and two interceptions in eight games. this season.

Q: What did you do as a youth in Hawaii? We're you involved in sports early on?

A: I started playing football when I was 8 years old. My grandpa took me to sign up for Pop Warner and that's when I started playing football. From there on, basketball and football were my favorite sports and that's what I played growing up. A lot of my family has been athletes, like my auntie, she played college volleyball, my two uncles played college football, so everybody in my family is familiar with sports.

Q: What was it like to go to Kahuku High and being able to play in a football program like that?

A: Going to Kahuku, it's a big football town. It's like Corvallis. Everybody comes on game days, they aren't at home, everybody's at the game. Just growing up and playing, the community reminds me a lot of Corvallis. We produce a lot of D-I athletes and we've got a couple of them in the NFL.

Q: Did people just go crazy for Friday night high school football over there?

A: Every game, everybody comes out. Everybody's not at home, everybody's at the football game. It's pretty crazy. Kahuku is like our college team.

Q: What did you learn by playing for Suiaki Livai, considered to be one of the top high school coaches ever in Hawaii?

A: I learned a lot from him. Great coach, always keeping everybody's spirits up. He's just a wonderful coach. And then the coaches that were there with him, those were great coaches. I just thank them for helping me and bringing me here to college. He was just as great coach. Took care of everybody. We were all like family. That's one great thing about Kahuku, everybody is like family, so that's how it was.

Q: What positions did you play in high school?

A: I played running back. I grew up playing running back and my junior year came and my dad told me, "You know, you're not going to make it to college playing running back, so let's try a different position." And I tried safety and it turned out to work good, I made all-state my junior year and that's when I started getting offers and stuff.

Q: You're known for your big hits. Is that something that came naturally for you, even back then?

A: Yeah, it was the first day of practice (my junior year), I made a big hit and I guess the coaches were like, "Man, this kid could play." So it just came naturally. It's like a mentality.

Q: Why did you end up at Oregon State rather than staying in Hawaii or going somewhere else?

A: Just the coaches and I heard a lot about the community. When I first came I just felt really welcome. It's like Hawaii, they treat you like family. Coach (Mike) Riley and coach (Mark) Banker, they took really good care of me. That's one thing I did is I built trust with them and it turned out to be good and I have no regrets. I'm glad I came here, great experience for me.

Q: Jeremy Perry was your teammate at Kahuku. How much influence did his decision to go to OSU have on your decision?

A: That was one of the other main reasons was Jeremy. Because from Kahuku, you either go to BYU or Hawaii and Jeremy decided to go different and he went to Oregon State and I was like I wanted to go somewhere and try to make something happen and I came here and slowly more people from Hawaii and my high school started coming here.

Q: You're related (first cousin) to OSU volleyball player Camilla Ah-Hoy. Did you know her well back in Hawaii?

A: We grew up together, so yeah. She's like a little sister to me. She's one year younger than me. She came here because of me, so I can watch over her and stuff like that.

Q: Is it exciting to have a member of the family follow you to OSU?

A: Oh yeah, of course. It's always good to have family, makes you feel more at home. Because I felt homesick my freshman year and when she came here I got over it a little.

Q: You're married to Jerrell and have a 2-year-old son, Darius. When did you get married?

A: I got married my sophomore year. (We met) back home in Hawaii. She got pregnant and then she ended up coming out. I decided she can come here so I can take care of her and then we ended up getting married. Just trying to enjoy the married life and trying to be a student and athlete at the same time.

Q: How do you manage to balance school, football and family?

A: It's hard, you know. I thought it was going to be easy, but I thought wrong. But it's worth it being a father, husband, a student-athlete. Things happen and it helped me become a more responsible man and helped me stay away from trouble and stuff like that.

Q: What are some of the things that have surprised you about your current lifestyle?

A: Spending time with my family because the only time I see them is - I leave the house in the morning for class, I always think of them and right after practice I've got study hall and then I go home at 9 o'clock - and that's the only time I see them. It's hard, but it's worth it. They support me and I support them as well. She used to work, but she had to quit. She's pregnant again, so I've got another boy on the way.

Q: You were involved in a drunk driving incident during the offseason. What did you take from that mistake?

A: It was scary for me. It was an eye-opener. I learned my lesson and I just want to thank coach Riley for keeping me on the team and giving me another chance. I thought I was done here at Oregon State and then he gave me good news and I just want to thank him for keeping me on the team. I learned my lesson. I've just got to focus on school, football and my family. That's what I've got to do and put that behind my back and not think about it.

Q: How do you feel you've developed as a player in your time at OSU?

A: When I first came here, everybody knew me as a hitter. It was like, "Oh, Al Afalava the hitter." I just try to work on other stuff. Coach Banker, he'll tell me what I need to work on and my cover skills have gotten better. Just working my hips and stuff like that. Plus, people tease me about my catching, I can't catch and that has been getting better so far. Coach Banker is a great coach and he's taught me many things, I've learned many things from him and he's taught me to be a good player.

Q: What do you enjoy the most about football?

A: What do I enjoy the most? Hitting. Yeah, just hitting, you know. Just getting the opportunity when the quarterback throws that ball up and you're around the ball, instead of the going for the interception I like to go for the hit, so I need to start going for the ball more.

Q: What has it been like to be on a team your senior year that is still in the race for the Rose Bowl this late in the season?

A: It's been special, but all the seniors, we all try to remind the boys we aren't trying to focus on that right now. Right now we want to take a game at a time. Then if we just take one game at a time and play at our best, we should be all right.

Q: What is your goal for the future?

A: My dream is to play in the NFL, so hopefully I get an opportunity to play in the NFL. If that doesn't work out, then finish school and I'm going to try to coach high school football.

Q: You would be teaching as well?

A: Yeah. I want to work with youth.

Q: When did you decide you wanted to pursue that career?

A: Last year, my junior year. I sat down with my academic adviser and he (asked) me what are the things you like to do and I told him and he said, "You know what? You look like you want to coach and work with youth." So he told me to go with liberal studies. You design your own major.

Q: Have you done any volunteer work with kids?

A: Not yet, but I love working with kids. That's one thing I love doing, working with kids and interacting with them.