At 6-foot-5, 327 pounds, LSU freshman offensive guard Maea Teuhema may appear to be just another bruising space clearer, suited best for driving defensive linemen through an area the size of a phone booth.
But that would be selling his athletic ability short. Once upon a time, Teuhema traded his shoulder pads and helmet for a bat and a glove. Until he literally grew out of the sport, the Texan was manning important spots on the baseball diamond, standing out as the largest kid on the field.
“Catcher, center field, first base,” Teuhema said, rattling off the positions he played.
The footwork he may have learned from his times behind the plate or in the outfield is now displaying itself as a rookie on the LSU offensive line. The former four-star prospect established himself as one of LSU coach Les Miles’ first men off the bench, slated to substitute with at least one of the two guard starters.
Although Miles revealed Monday he expects as many as 15 freshman to play this season — something the 11th-year coach has been consistent with in his time at LSU — Teuhema stood out enough to be integrally involved in a talented position group, taking reps with the first-team line leading up to the canceled opener against McNeese State.
While starting sophomore defensive tackle Davon Godchaux sees Teuhema’s athletic ability as his best weapon, fifth-year senior defensive tackle Quentin Thomas is impressed by the muscle Teuhema and the other young offensive linemen bring, especially since Thomas has been in Baton Rouge longer than any other Tiger.
“I’m going to tell you one thing: Strength wise, them dudes don’t lack in that area at all,” Thomas said. “That’s some of the strongest freshman I have seen come in, besides myself, obviously.”
As Thomas points out, LSU returned three starters on the line, so the incoming freshmen felt the need to prove themselves as soon as camp began. But Teuhema has risen near the top, supplanting players who have been with the team for a year.
But Teuhema was almost a Longhorn, initially making his verbal commitment to former Texas coach Mack Brown in summer 2013. Teuhema was doing as his brother, sophomore defensive end Sione Teuhema, planned to do, but circumstances in Austin changed when Brown left the program.
The next option became LSU, and it was clear the brothers would be heading to the same place. Not only have the brothers formed a bond that wouldn’t be broken by college choices, the decision to head to Baton Rouge pleased the matriarch of the family.
“My mom wanted it, and I like making my mom happy,” Maea said. “I’m glad we’re both here.”
Maea and Sione, though, developed into highly regarded football players away from their parents as both moved into the house of the duo’s little league coach in Keller, Texas, to attend Keller High School. Sione and Maea’s parents were close with the coach’s family and realized it would be best if they went to school away from where they were living.
Sione said he became closer with his brother starting in middle school, and each pushed each other in practice on opposite sides of the line once they got to prep football.
“In high school, once we lined up together, I always made sure I went hard for him to get better, and he always made sure he went hard for me to get better,” Sione said. “We just worked off each other.”
While Maea and Sione may eventually be separated if both reach the next level, the eldest is enjoying being the teammate of the youngest at the collegiate level, but he isn’t going to tell him how well he’s doing.
“If you see him out there right now, he’s going to be a great player,” Sione said. “Growing up, he has three more years [at LSU], and I’m just proud to be his brother right now. Just watching him grow and be a great player out there.
“People tell me that he’s strong and he’s going to be great. But to be honest, I don’t tell him that he’s good or anything. I don’t want him to have a high head or anything.”