He is 19-years-old. He is a top-rated talent. He has been destined for greatness. He’s got the strongest arm in college football. The 6-foot, 250-pound freshman carries himself like a star and has been mentioned in the same breath as Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence, and Patrick Mahomes. This is D.J. Uiagalelei, one of the rising stars in Clemson. New Draftkings players can catch him in action and bet on his exploits as he continues to impress.
His quick rise into the spotlight started as soon as Trevor Lawrence was confirmed to have contracted the COVID-19 virus. This had gotten the fans worried with their star man set to be out for a while but as soon as Dabo Swinney handed him a start against Boston College, his presence was felt. All D.J. Uiagalelei stats including those of his Clemson team and other ACC teams are offered here. But, aside from the 342 yards he threw in the 34-28 comeback win in that game, here are some of the things you didn’t know about D.J. Uiagalelei;
He was a baseball fan
While football seems to be working just right for him, D.J. Uiagalelei was a great New York Yankees fan. He was never in love with football and in sixth grade, he was almost giving up the sport. All this resulting from misreading Mariano Rivera’s autobiography where at 12, Rivera dropped out of school to pursue baseball full time, and at 15, he had signed a pro contract.
D.J. Uiagalelei told his parents he wanted to follow suit but they declined. By high school, he was already in love with football and he used to juggle between baseball and football. A medical surgery on his hand, however, saw his baseball time missed and after getting back, he opted for football at Clemson.
Jeremiah Masoli is his favorite QB
While he has many Polynesian quarterbacks to choose from such as Marcus Mariota, George Malauulu, Marques Tuiasosopo, and Tua Tagovailoa, his favorite quarterback is Oregon’s Jeremiah Masoli.
‘That was my favorite quarterback growing up, probably ever.’ He says.
Big Dave Inspiration
His dad is no new person. Big Dave is as big as it goes. His personality is lovable and he is a dad who is filled with enthusiasm. His dad has taken the role of marketing his son while at the same time watching him with pride. From sharing his best games videos, top reviews, and big throws, he is a dad determined to find him bigger opportunities. They couldn’t be more proud of each other!
He knows how hard his name is to pronounce
Uiagalelei. I know. He knows. Clemson’s teammates also know this going by the video of them trying to pronounce his name. Most of his buddies simply call him D.J. or ‘Money Man’ for his ability to cash in.
His preferred name, however, is ‘Big 5inco’ – a name describing his size and his shirt number. His California high school mates called him ‘Cinco’ until the ‘5’ modifier came by. He liked the name and his Instagram posts from then had #Big5inco added.
It’s oo-ee-AHN-guh-luh-lay but he has allowed you to call him whatever you want. Just not ‘Wiggly Lee’ as one of his teammates pronounced!
