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“It’s second and 10, and you didn’t get that first down,” said
Capt. Fabian Tafuna, 22nd Air Refueling Wing chaplain. “If you
messed up, don’t look back; keep going. Ask yourself, ‘What do I
have to do from here to get that 10 yards and live to see another
down?’”
Before joining the Air Force, Tafuna played football
as a fullback at Weber State University, Utah, while earning his
Bachelors Degree.
Football is a family sport; both his
father and brother played in college. From a young age, Tafuna was
instilled with fulfilling the American dream by continuing the
family tradition of earning a football scholarship and receiving a
free college education. Excelling his senior year, Tafuna was earned
2nd team all-American honors.
“Nobody on my team was getting
talked to like I was getting talked to,” said Tafuna. “It would have
been my dream to go for the NFL, even if I would have gotten cut.
There was a part of me that just wanted to try it, because I had
worked so hard to get to that point where I was even getting talked
to by recruiters.”
The season Tafuna graduated with his
degree, he was getting scouted by NFL recruiters. The offers
presented the possibility for a professional contract and draft
status on the line, but in the end there was no guarantee.
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November 6, 2016 - Capt. Fabian Tafuna, 22nd Air Refueling Wing
chaplain, carries the Air Force flag before at a Kansas City Chiefs
football game in honor of Veteran's Day at Arrowhead Stadium,
Missouri. Before joining the Air Force, Tafuna played football as a
fullback at Weber State University, Utah. (U.S. Air Force photo by
Senior Airman Christopher Thornbury)
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“If you are a college football player so many of us just
think National Football League or bust,” said Tafuna. “For
me, it turned into just doing anything to play football ... the
means to an end was kind of lost. I didn’t think, ‘let’s get
a great degree and make a difference in academia.’ It’s do
whatever to pass the class and stay eligible to continue to
play football.”
At the same time the NFL was trying
to recruit him, Tafuna got an offer from another
organization.
“My church was recruiting me as a
religious education instructor,” said Tafuna. “I ignored the
calling for a while when I was in school because I was
getting recruited by the NFL, but in the end I couldn’t
ignore it. I decided in order for me to get rid of this
feeling, I needed to pursue it.”
Tafuna gave up his
chance at the NFL and took a full time teaching job with The
Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints.
“I was glad
to support him in what he felt was right for his career and
what he felt like the Lord was calling him to do,” said
Carissa Tafuna, his wife. “I'm grateful for my husband's
experiences and growth from having played football
competitively at the college level and I believe that it's
influence has helped guide us to the path we are on now.”
In March 2016, Tafuna joined another family, the Air
Force family, as he commissioned and became part of the
military chaplaincy.
“The timing, the place, the
people, it all lined up. This is exactly where I’m supposed
to be.” said Tafuna. “Football and the military are both
families. I think that’s why a lot of military folk connect
well with football, because they can relate to the warrior
ethos, teamwork and the whole battle mentality. Your fellow
Airmen are your brothers, you do anything for them, just
like lineman.”
In the end everything did line up for
Tafuna. Though he didn’t get his NFL contract, football is
still a part of his life. Alongside his fellow Airmen,
Tafuna still plays for the squadron and base flag football
teams.
“I’m grateful for those years ... it taught me a
lot of life lessons,” said Tafuna. “I learned a lot about
forgiveness. You have to forgive yourself when you make a
mistake. In football and in life you don’t have time to
think about the last play, you just have to move on.”
By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jenna Caldwell
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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