JUNIOR TAGALOA

Steve Virgen

When Junior Tagaloa thinks back to his record-breaking days while

playing receiver at Orange Coast College in 1986-87, he remembers

many highlights, the camaraderie and the victories. He also recalls a

special saying his roommate came up with, that Tagaloa ended up using

not only on the field, but applying to what he did when an

opportunity came his way.

When Tagaloa would catch a pass in 1987 he thought: all the way on

every play. The saying was told to him by Tom Torpestad, an offensive

lineman.

Tagaloa went all the way on many plays in 1987, setting

single-season records for receiving yards (1,190) and touchdowns

(17). Those records remain, as do his two-year statistics in

receptions (119), touchdowns (22) and receiving yards (2,132).

“I played well, but I was discouraged that first season,” Tagaloa

said. “I was upset at myself that I didn’t do well enough to be

all-conference. I wanted that and I worked hard for it.”

Before his sophomore year, Tagaloa and his girlfriend, Wendy,

began the offseason by highlighting the school records and the young

receiver decided he wanted to break them. He did and that girlfriend

of his is now his wife.

“We broke every [receiving] record in the book,” Tagaloa said. “We

didn’t just want to break them, we wanted to break them to the point

where no one else would touch them.”

Those records might not have happened at all. Tagaloa had his

sights set on success in baseball throughout his prep days, and then

he became a bit disinterested with academics and athletics for one

year at El Camino College. But he decided to give football a chance.

Tagola competed in football, baseball and track and field at

Bishop Montgomery High. After spending one year at El Camino, he went

to OCC and redshirted the first year he arrived.

By the time he was ready to leave the Pirates, he had Kansas

State, BYU, Miami, Illinois, Cal and Michigan hot on his trail.

Tagaloa cherishes the time spent at OCC. Yet, perhaps his biggest

highlight was speaking with former Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler,

who told Tagaloa he wanted him on his team.

Tagaloa wanted to play for the Wolverines, but Big Ten rules

prevented him from playing two years there because of time at the

community college. Tagaloa instead went to Cal, where he was under

the tutelage of receivers coach Steve Mariucci, who is now the head

coach of the Detroit Lions.

Tagaloa drew contact with Schembechler after meeting with John

Robinson, who was coaching the Los Angeles Rams at the time.

Robinson’s son, Chris, played at OCC.

After Tagaloa finished his eligibility at Cal, he was drafted as a

rookie free agent by the Rams, but he was sidelined by a kidney

injury and could not pass the physical to become part of the team.

His love for the game did not end, as he went on to play for the

Arena Football-2 league, and also excelled in rugby.

The last three years, Tagaloa coached the receivers at OCC. He

said he wants the same opportunities he received for his players.

This year, he will step away from the football field and work as a

fitness consultant with the OCC baseball team.

Tagaloa, 36, the latest honoree of the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of

Fame, lives in Costa Mesa with Wendy and their daughter, Kailualani,

7.