High school football: Provo's Unufe back on track

PROVO — Nowadays, Maka Unufe is driven by his desire to play football.

"I am so happy to be playing here at Provo High. I'm just grateful to be playing football again," said Unufe, a senior receiver and safety.

That hasn't always been the case, however. For his sophomore and junior years of high school, Unufe decided there were things other than playing football and going to class that he'd rather be doing.

Being raised mainly by his mother in a home with five younger siblings, it was easy for Unufe to have free rein to do, basically, whatever he wanted — and he did. The choices he made ate at those close to Provo football because they saw a teen loaded with talent who was heading down a path to trouble.

"I thought I had other stuff I wanted to do, and I started hanging out with friends and doing stuff that wasn't good for my school or for me," Unufe said.

Fortunately, Unufe's deep love for football and some encouragement from friends, family and coaches led him back to the playing field and classrooms his senior season.

"I knew I could do better things in life than those things that I was doing. I knew I was better than that," he said.

Unufe's turnaround — for those at Provo who saw him play as a freshman before spending the next two years "just hanging out" — is nothing short of amazing.

"Everybody could see his talent and everybody wanted him to play, but it had to be his decision," Provo coach Saia Pope said.

Unufe is proud of his new direction in life and the doors that football is opening for him.

"I've changed. This year I've changed. I'm getting my schoolwork done now and getting my other stuff done," Unufe said.

With his priorities back in order, his academics back on the right path, and the desire to play football driving him, Unufe is showing this season why Provo's coaches so desperately wanted him back in pads. In five games he's scored 11 touchdowns and has proven to be one of the state's most dangerous offensive threats — earning him the nickname Maka "catch me if you can" Unufe.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder with 4.3 speed has returned four kicks for touchdowns, returned two interceptions for touchdowns and caught five TD passes — and we're not talking the 5-yard variety. He's averaging nearly 35 yards per reception.