When Mark Atuaia was going through the college recruiting process, he felt bad that he would have to disappoint one of two men he greatly respected.
As a youngster growing up in Laie, Hawaii, Atuaia looked up to Robert Anae and Ken Niumatalolo — two of the finest athletes to come out of the tiny town located on the north shore of Oahu.
Anae was working as a graduate assistant with the Brigham Young football program while Niumatalolo held the same position at the University of Hawaii when Atuaia was a senior at Kahuku High.