James Trinnaman was watching a BYU football game when his 2-year-old son, Jonah, walked in wearing only a diaper and Sunday shoes with a football in his hand. Jonah looked at the TV screen and said, “Dad, that’s what I’m going to do when I grow up.”
James quickly replied, “What, play football?”
“Yep!” Jonah said.
And then young Jonah walked off with his football.
Little did the Trinnaman family know that 18 years later, 6-foot, 190-pound Jonah would in fact live his dream of playing football for the BYU Cougars.
FAMILY OF 11
Natives of Utah County, James and Laura Trinnaman moved to Seattle after adopting Jonah and his older brother from Philadelphia as babies. The Trinnamans then moved to Taiwan, where Jonah started school. When he was in second grade, the Trinnamans moved to American Fork and have lived there since.
Jonah is the second of nine children ranging from ages 15 to 22. Seven of the nine children were adopted from Philadelphia, New Orleans, Tawain and Haiti.
“There has always been someone in the family for each member to hang out with, talk with or cry to,” James explained. “They play together and do pretty much everything together. Because there are so many kids, we just learned to do everything together and enjoy each other’s company.”
The Trinnaman clan says they do not know anything different than a big-family environment.
“There is always someone dancing, singing or anything like that,” Jonah’s younger sister Teya said.
Jonah’s peers have naturally been drawn to his fun and kind personality since he was a little boy.
“Growing up, Jonah would rally all the neighborhood kids to play together,” Laura said. “Everyone loved being around him. He is completely non-judgmental and loves everyone. He gives everyone a million chances.”
A FAMILY GUY
Jonah is fast and fierce on the football field, but he is a family guy outside of the game.
“I love hanging out with my family,” Jonah said. “I go home like every weekend.”
Jonah is the jokester of the family, and he loves to be involved in the lives of all his siblings despite his busy schedule as a college athlete.
“He always asks about our lives when he comes home,” younger sister, Jesse said. “He loves knowing what’s going on with us and feeling like he is still a part of everything.”
Not only is Jonah the center of the family when he is around, but he watches out for his brothers and sisters outside of their home.
“Jonah is very protective,” Teya said. “I loved going to high school with him. He was always watching out for me.”
Although he is the big brother no one wants to mess with when it comes to his siblings, the Trinnaman kids have many memories of Jonah being a total goof at home.
“I remember when Teya and me had tutu outfits we would dress up in with heels and little wands,” Jesse said. “Jonah would always come and dress up with us. He would lead us through the hallways. It was so funny! He didn’t really care. It just shows how fun and goofy he is.”
Younger brothers Jaylen, Tate and Reggie remember their older brother playing games with them and just forgetting about the stresses of life and football.
As the second of nine kids, Jonah carries a lot of responsibility and considers it a privilege. The role of an older brother is so important in his life. Jonah’s impact on his family is evident through their love and support of his dreams.
“After all the work he has put in, it’s neat seeing him succeed on a pretty big stage,” Tate said.
“It’s so fun to watch him play out there,” Jaylen said. “I love the precise way he catches. It is so exact, and he is always so focused. Also, I love watching him interact with the fans. He is so kind to them.”
The Trinnaman clan still remembers Jonah’s first touchdown as a Cougar. They’ve always loved BYU football, but it means more to them now because of Jonah.
“Some of us were sitting in different seats during the Toldeo game, so we weren’t in the family section,” Teya explained. “When he scored his first touchdown, we were screaming so loud we were about to pass out. Everyone was staring, and we kept yelling ‘that’s our brother!’ It is so fun having someone to watch during the games!”
QUIET, YET FIERCE
“In high school, Jonah turned down being captain because he didn’t like the attention,” James explained. “He has always been shy and humble, but he is a quiet leader that people follow.”
“I like to lead by how I play,” Jonah stated.
When the team gets hyped up in a huddle before a game, Jonah is typically off to the side or over on the bench getting in the zone. When he gets on the field, the crowds and cheering do not bother him.
“It’s a comfort zone for him,” James said. “Once his helmet goes on and he is out there, the cheering gets him going. It is a motivator for him.”
When Jonah played at Snow College, he came up for a BYU game with his mom and sat right behind the team in the recruiting section.
“It was so loud compared to Snow or American Fork High School,” Laura explained. “I remember being so overwhelmed! Jonah’s legs just started jiggling halfway through and I said to him, ‘Does this make you really nervous? This is stressing you out right?’”
Jonah said, “No, this is so hard to sit here! I’m not supposed to be sitting here. I’m supposed to be down there on that field!”
JOURNEY TO BYU
Growing up in American Fork, Jonah has always been familiar with what it means to be “true blue.”
“I grew up here and I knew a couple players,” Jonah said. “Playing here has been a dream of mine. BYU has been it. I love BYU.”
“Jonah’s down time was always spent outside throwing a football to himself with his headphones in or he was inside watching plays on YouTube,” James said.
In ninth grade, he narrowed down all his sports to just football and decided to play wide receiver. Although he was hurt his freshman year, he was always with the team. He went on to play varsity the next three years at American Fork High School.
“He knew and had his own goals for college football,” Laura said. “We could do nothing but just sit back and be supportive. Football was hard enough through high school.”
“We had no idea what we were doing in terms of camps and recruiting,” James explained. “He knew all about it. It took us a good year before we figured it all out. He started doing big camps and getting more exposure.”
Jonah’s journey to BYU has not been an easy one, but hard work and determination brought him to now play in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
"HE'S GOING TO DO SOMETHING SOMEDAY."
Jonah has always been interested in sports and is very athletic. When he played little league baseball, he was the fastest on the team. He has always been the fastest kid in everything he’s played.
“In little league baseball, people were in awe of how fast he ran the bases,” James said. “I remember a dad turning to me saying, ‘He’s going to do something someday.’”
Today is that “someday.” Jonah is now a starting wide receiver for the Cougars after completing his freshman and sophomore years at Snow College. As a junior, he joined the BYU football family the same year Kalani Sitake’s coaching staff did. Jonah is looking forward to his senior year this season and to let all his hard work pay off.
“I just want to make big plays,” Jonah said. “That is all I’m focused on. I was hoping to do that last year, but I didn’t have the confidence I had at Snow. But this year, I’m getting that confidence back.”
Jonah has a crucial few months ahead of him as he works hard during his last season of college football.
“Going into Jonah’s senior year, I want to see more consistency,” receiver coach Ben Cahoon said. “He’s been challenged and is a guy that has a lot of up-side. I’d like to see the quarterback trust him so much that he wants to get the ball to Jonah.”
Jonah used last season to learn the plays and see where he fit in. He is ready to be a teammate that everyone depends on.
Jonah has always been the fastest kid. Whether it’s t-ball, flag football or now college football, Jonah is dependable with his speed and work ethic. Outside of all of his athletic abilities, Jonah is a goofy guy who loves his family. No matter where life takes him, he will always remember where he came from and how he got there.
“It’s gone by so fast, and I cannot believe he is a senior,” James said. “There will be a new chapter, whether it be football or more school. He has worked extremely hard to get to where he’s at, even with how gifted he is. He’s been blessed beyond belief. It’s been fun to watch him live out his dream, like he said when he was two years old. He still thinks the sky is the limit, so we are excited to see his future unfold.”