It was no secret the Trojans were actively recruiting Mt. San Antonio defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo (6-2, 330) and that his interest in USC was extremely high, after WeAreSC columnist Greg Katz spoke to former Santa Ana Century High School varsity football head coach Kevin Pola.
Pola, who coached Fangupo during his prep days at Century and is the nephew of former Trojan assistant Kennedy Pola, Fangupo is a Trojan... if the kid’s grades are good and Pete Carroll offers. Says Kevin Pola, “He’d go to USC in a heartbeat.” Of his former star’s qualities, Pola told the O/NSO.
“He is an animal. He is the best player I’ve either seen or played against. He never takes a down off and he willing to work to improve. He has an infectious attitude, a total team player. We had Fili Moala in our league when Hebron was with us at Century, and he was much better than Fili when Moala was at Western. Hebron has the strength of a defensive tackle and the speed of a defensive end.”
This morning Fangupo received his offer from the Trojans and verbally committed.
“It’s been a dream of mine to go to USC and everyone always told me I’d never be good enough to play there,” Fangupo said. “USC started recruiting me later than most schools, but when they saw my tape they called. They said, ‘It says you weigh 340 pounds,’ and I said, ‘I do.’ They said, ‘You carry it very well.
"So, Coach Sweaty (David Watson) came to our a school to see me and told me USC was really interested. Then Coach (Nick) Holt came out and Coach Sweaty said USC was going to offer. I said, ‘It’s all talk until I get an offer.’ It was like, ‘Show me the money.’
“I got a call from Coach (Pete) Carroll and his coaches and he said he wanted me to be a Trojan. I said, ‘Coach, you say the word and I’m ready to go.’ It’s a really exciting time and my mom was crying when I gave her the news.”
Although Fangupo is riding high with his commitment to USC, there are two extremely difficult calls he’ll have to make tomorrow. One to Tennessee and one to Oregon.
“Those schools have been great to me,” Fangupo said. “Those were the two schools I was most interested in and they have been with me from the beginning, and through the good and bad times. It’s going to be really hard telling them I chose another school. But it’s better I call them, than not.”
Fangupo is Mormon and served his mission in the Philippines in 2006/2007 and returned home last April. He will graduate in December, enroll at USC in January and have three years to play two.
We'll have more from Erik McKinney on Fangupo.
