Each month, the Foothill Athletics Department recognizes a Student-Athlete who exemplifies the spirit of being an Owl. This recipient shows dedication to not only their sport, but to their academics, character, and being a leader on and off the field.
This month Foothill has recognized Hingano Hautau, a Sophomore Offensive Lineman from San Jose, as their athlete of the month. Hautau, or ‘Big H’ as he’s affectionately known due to his commanding 6’6” frame, has helped lead the Owls Football team to their first undefeated 10-0 season since 2019, and only the second in program history.
Coming from a sporting family, with his Mom playing basketball and volleyball, his Dad playing rugby, and his cousins playing football, Hautau was always destined to play sports.
Although it might be hard to tell due to his natural gridiron talent, Hatau’s first dive into athletics was on the hard court, not the football field. He pursued basketball early on and started football in high school as something that he just did for fun.
It wasn’t until senior year that Hautau decided to put his full athletic focus into football, something he attributes to his recruitment from Owls’ Head Coach Matt Raivio.
“I started to think this could really change my life if I want to do something with [football] and I chose to put my head down and work hard.”
Academics and athletics are a delicate balance that is intrinsic to the success of any collegiate athlete, and it’s no different for Hautau. He admittedly had some ups and downs in his first quarter as many do, but in his second quarter, he found his groove and figured out that delicate balance.
“I talked to Coach Raivio and he explained how to manage it both football and academics wise, and [the main advice] was to stay in your books, because if you do that, you’ll be able to play on the field… without academics, you can’t play anything.”
This focus on academics to aid his football career has paid dividends, as Hautau has received multiple offers to play Division 1 football after his Foothill career ends this coming winter. He was also honored as the All League Offensive MVP of the Pacific 7 Conference.
While he expresses an extreme amount of gratitude for these honors and opportunities and is excited to continue to pursue the sport at higher levels, possibly reaching the NFL one day, his focus now remains here with his teammates.
“I want to go to the next level and keep working and get better… but right now I’m just focused on winning this championship game with Foothill and go 11-0.”
The impact of this program on Hautau has not gone unnoticed, and he makes it clear he wants to leave his mark on this program. He hopes to be someone that future Foothill teams can look up to as an example of what it means to be an Owl.
“I want to [focus on] what Foothill has given to me and so I can give it back to them and make history.”
Hautau also doesn’t shy away from showing his appreciation for how this program and his coaching staff have helped shape him as a person and an athlete.
“Foothill really changed my life, especially Coach Raivio and Coach Brandon Younger with the opportunity they gave me to come and play here.”
When asked if he had any advice for someone looking to pursue athletics or any goal for that matter, Hautau offered a great piece of wisdom that he undoubtedly employs himself.
“Trust yourself, trust your gut, and just go for it. If you don’t go for it, you may never see that opportunity come to you ever again. Trust your heart, just work, and let God handle the rest.”
On December 2nd, Hautau and his teammates will lead the Owls onto Foothill’s home field for the Pacific 7 Conference Championship game in a bid for the first 11-0 season in Owls history.
