Former BYU and Oregon State football player Tevita Moala, 37, succumbs to cancer

A former Oregon State football star who played briefly for BYU in 1993 died last week at the age of 37 after a five-year battle with cancer. Tevita Moala, dubbed "The Tenacious Tongan" by many in his hometown of Hawthorne, Calif., originally attended BYU out of Hawthorne High and was a 5-10, 185-pound defensive back during the 1993 season, according to BYU's media guide. Moala saw action in three games for BYU before suffering a season-ending injury. After a church mission to the Philippines, Moala returned to BYU in 1997, but didn't play that year and transferred to El Camino College in California. He shined at OSU from 1999-2000. A linebacker at OSU, he played on the school's 2000 Fiesta Bowl and 1999 Oahu Bowl teams. Moala is survived by his wife, Maata, and six children ranging in age from 13 to 3. He was the oldest of Talite and Toilose Moala's nine children, and five of his brothers played Division I football. Flowers and donations are being accepted at Moala's home in Herriman, Utah. The address is: 14377 Butterfield Parkway, Herriman, UT, 84096