Fueled by playoff disappointment and inspired by legends, Viliamu-Asa surges toward a dominant return, his motivation igniting the Notre Dame defense.
Injuries are an unfortunate reality in football, but it's a part of the game that countless teams across the country have to overcome. Over the last couple of seasons, Notre Dame has had their fair share of impactful injuries. Last year, on Senior Day, star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa went down with a knee injury which sidelined him for the rest of the season.
At the time, it was believed that the Irish would be making a run in the playoffs, but the selection committee had other plans. From that day on, the committee's decision has been the fuel to the fire that's been driving this team to 'Leave No Doubt' this offseason, and Viliamu-Asa is no exception.
"I think for me it hurt knowing I wouldn't be able to participate, but it hurt a lot more to know my brothers wouldn't be able to participate either," Viliamu-Asa explained. "So that day when we saw the selection show, it was a hard day, a hard day to work through. But that's something we're using as fuel this year and going into the season."
The 6-3, 230-pound California native has been a force on the defensive side of the ball the last two seasons, and if it weren't for the knee injury, we'd be talking about him alongside middle linebacker Drayk Bowen as possibly the best returning duo in the country. His injury is unfortunate, but that hasn't stopped him from being one of the leaders for his room and for the Notre Dame defense.
"You can lead in many ways," Viliamu-Asa shared. "Even though I'm not able to be on the field physically, I can still be an inspiration to other guys to come in early, get extra work and be there to encourage others who are on the field. I trust the training staff. I just want to make sure the next time I step on the field I'm at 200 percent."
Notre Dame has been a school that has produced excellent linebackers at the college level including a former Heisman finalist back in 2012. Former Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te'o has been an inspiration to the California native which has also helped his road to recovery this offseason.
"A little bit," Viliamu-Asa answered when asked if he's gotten to know Te'o. "It's a blessing. He's one of the guys who built the path for us. He was an inspiration to me and a lot of young Polynesian kids from the west coast. So it's great getting to know him. I learn a lot from him whenever I get to talk to him. It's great."
The Notre Dame defense has all the potential in the world to be a top-level defense this upcoming season, and this unit is better as a whole when No. 27 is out on the field. He might have one of the highest overall ceilings on the team, let alone the defense. Viliamu-Asa's road to recovery has been long, and he still has a ways to go, but that hasn't halted his motivation in the slightest.
"There's no doubt I'm going to be back," Viliamu-Asa said emphatically. "The fire that burns deep inside keeps me going every day. My brothers keep going every day and they motivate me."
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