Mata’afa gave up wrestling before his senior year of high school to focus on his first love — football. And despite coming off the bench in every WSU game this year, the redshirt freshman was an All-Pac-12 honorable-mention selection
As one of seven kids, Washington State defensive lineman Hercules Mata’afa grew up wrestling with his sisters.
Yes, sisters.
Mata’afa comes from an athletic family, with four sisters and two brothers. His eldest sister, Lia, is a former Hawaii high school state wrestling champion who has since become a mixed-martial-arts fighter. Another sister, Gina-Bella, is a water polo player at Durham University in the United Kingdom.