The pressure was on, and the stage was set. BYU was up against the No. 6-ranked team in the country, the Wisconsin Badgers, and the Cougars were the underdogs by a long shot.
In a stadium teeming with red, it was BYU’s Aleva Hifo that brought everyone in blue to their feet. Becoming the Cougars’ unexpected hero, Aleva showed his versatility and made himself a household name to BYU fans across the nation.
A trick play pass from Aleva to tight end Moroni Laulu-Pututau gave BYU the lead in the second quarter. It was a lead the Cougars held for the rest of the game, with Aleva putting stats on the board in not one or two categories, but three.
In that moment, Aleva became a triple threat.
“He’s smart enough and capable enough to play different positions,” BYU wide receivers coach Fesi Sitake said. “There are a lot of guys in different programs that can play all these different positions, but there’s not a lot of people who can manage the mental toll that it can take on you.”
As a full-time student, top-tier athlete and devoted brother and son, Aleva certainly has a lot on his plate. His skill in balancing life off the field, however, has made him an asset on it, and helped him rise through the ranks to become one of BYU’s biggest advantages this season.
Growing up a Hifo
Growing up with a big family, Aleva was surrounded by love and support from a young age and family values were very important to him.
“Aleva was funny and happy; he was the jokester,” said Nandi Hifo, Aleva’s mother. “He’s our third son of eight children. He was always testing his older brothers, but he was very caring and protective of his sister.”
It was those family roots in the game of football that got him started. Aleva’s father, Petelo, brought his boys up playing the game, coaching them from the time they could learn to run a route. Aleva started playing football when he was just seven years old.
“We knew right away he had a future in football” Nandi said. “Some kids had to learn the game, but it was a natural talent for Aleva.”
The bright future of a young boy new to the game led to Aleva becoming a three-star prospect and the No. 17 cornerback in the West out of high school, giving him the opportunity to represent the Hifo name at the next level like his father before him.
“My dad played in high school and college, too,” Hifo said. “In a way, he chose between my mom and football, but his knowledge of the game was pretty high so he would coach me and my brothers.”
Making the final decision
All eyes were on Aleva when it came time to decide where he would take his talents to at the next level, but BYU wasn’t on the California native’s radar for a most of his high school career.
“Growing up I didn’t expect to play at BYU. They didn’t start recruiting me until my junior year, but I always was aware of BYU and the school in general,” Aleva explained. “Then things kind of just happened, and I’m very glad they did.”
Family played a major role in the recruitment process and Aleva’s final decision. Sione Takitaki, a former BYU linebacker and Aleva’s cousin, lived with the Hifos and told Aleva stories about his time in the Cougar program and the impact it had on more than just his football career.
“Sione is the biggest reason I came to BYU,” Hifo said. “Being able to see the things that he’s done makes it even better that I’m related to him.”
Beyond family, it was the religious environment that sealed the deal for Aleva.
“A lot of my choice was because of the Latter-day Saint environment,” Hifo said. “My parents were a big factor in my decision and they knew that coming here would keep me out of trouble. But I know if I would’ve gone anywhere else, my faith in the church wouldn’t have grown at all.”
Establishing the Hifo name
When Aleva announced his decision to attend BYU, his family decided to make the move with him. The Menifee, California, natives knew that the Latter-day Saint presence in Utah would make it an ideal place to raise their family and they wanted to support Aleva at every football game they could.
Now, as Aleva’s senior season begins, they feel extremely blessed to have watched Aleva make a name for himself in the Cougar program and put the number 15 on the map.
“Originally coming to BYU, I didn’t get to choose my number my freshman year, so I was stuck with 88,” Aleva said. “Sophomore year I had more of an opportunity to choose. I wanted number seven, but seven was taken at the time by someone who was older. I didn’t want to keep choosing different numbers and wait for seven, so I ended up just choosing any random number and decided to just do my best and make something out of it.”
And make something out of it he did. The number 15 was quickly one of the numbers that was announced most over stadium loud speakers for more than just successful receptions. It wasn’t uncommon to see him running the ball just as often as he caught it.
“When you put Aleva into those different positions, it allows us to feature him more. All great offenses feature their most dynamic players, and Aleva happens to be one of those,” Sitake said. “For us to try to box him in and keep him in one position would be doing him a disservice.”
In 2018, Hifo played in all 13 games for the Cougars. He led the team with 545 all-purpose yards and was second on the team in receiving with 28 catches for 358 yards and two touchdowns. The senior also rushed for another 124 yards and two scores while returning seven kickoffs for 135 yards.
“Before last season I didn’t have a single rushing yard, so it definitely was different,” Aleva said. “But I did enjoy it a lot.”
With game stats featuring the Hifo name in more boxes than just those for receptions, Aleva became a multi-faceted weapon for the Cougars and their offense. Moving forward, the coaches hope to grow on that versatility, and the fans can’t get enough of watching the shifty athlete move the ball down the field in any way he can.
“We love the idea of keeping Aleva as that Swiss Army knife,” Sitake said. “Those are the types of players that defenses highlight going into game week thinking ‘What do we have to do to stop this guy?’ The more you use him, the more versatile you make him, and the harder it is for defenses to game plan around him.”
As a dynamic player in high school that played at receiver, running back and defensive back, Aleva is familiar with being relied on for more than one job, and doesn’t want it to stop here.
“Moving forward I want to try to expand on what I did last season in terms of production and the run game, the receiving game, and maybe even a couple more passes,” Aleva laughed.
Balancing life off the field
With all the ways that Aleva balances his responsibilities on the football field, it isn’t surprising that he’s gotten good at juggling his responsibilities off it, and that the mental toughness Aleva has in football directly carries over to every other area of being a student-athlete. He is on track to graduate in 2020 as an exercise science major, is a faithful member of his church and is in a happy relationship.
“One of the things I try to maintain is a good balance in my life with football, the church, school and the social aspect of things,” Aleva said. “Something I used to struggle with was being consistent in all those areas, but I’ve found bringing the consistency to everything doesn’t just make me a better football player, but a better person in general. By working on having a good positive balance in my life, I feel like it helps me the most on the field and off.”
Despite how it may look, however, the success of Aleva is proof that the talented athlete isn’t a one-man show. He knows he has the support of his family, coaches, and teammates, and that makes all the difference whether he’s in practice or in the classroom.
“This last fall camp and these last few months have been the true definition of band of brothers,” Aleva Said. “Our team chemistry has been really great and it helps us understand that the people we are playing for are right next to us.”
“People say that athletes have more on their plate, but it’s what you make of it that matters. If you want to make it hard, it’s going to be hard, but if you can balance things and stay on top of things, it’s only going to make the experience better for you and your life.”
Above all, Aleva knows that he can turn to God as a comfort during football and school, especially in a school that places faith high on the list of priorities. Through the ups and downs of his first three years, Aleva knows that the success he has wouldn’t have been possible if he didn’t turn to that faith.
“Everything that we do in our lives would not happen or be possible without God,” Aleva said. “We need to understand that He is first in everything. It took me longer than I wanted to, but being in this area has really helped me spiritually.
Looking toward the future
As his senior year has gotten underway, Aleva is looking forward to life after BYU, even if he’s not quite sure what that has in store for him just yet.
“If football was out of the picture, I’ve always seen myself still involved in sports,” the senior said. “Athletic training is something I’d like to do if I didn’t have football.”
His mother knows that the end of this era for her son is a bittersweet one, but looks back on her and her family’s move to Provo fondly.
“I’m sad his time here is coming to an end,” Nandi said. “He’s been blessed in so many ways here at BYU. The best decision he made was to come here. In the next five years, I hope he furthers his career in football and starts a family of his own.”
Already this season, Aleva continues to make big plays as the Swiss Army knife and be an integral part of the BYU offense in the first games of the year. He has worked his way into the hearts of thousands of BYU fans, and continues to rise beyond their expectations. Still, the senior stays humble through the praise, and focuses on what’s truly important in his final year as a Cougar.
“I don’t really have a phrase or words as a motto, but just a way I want to live my life,” Aleva said. “I want to maintain a balance in my life, and make sure I’m doing good in all areas. Church, football and family, those are the three things that I want to maintain and focus on. I know if I do those three things, then everything else will fall into place.”