Marques in the middle

VATIA, American Samoa -- The ornate memorial occupies a position of prominence in the remote village of Vatia, which sits on a striking bay on the northern portion of the island of American Samoa.

This is where former village chiefs are buried. The name on the graves would give any University of Washington football fan pause:

"Tuiasosopo."

No, the Huskies potential All-America quarterback, senior Marques Tuiasosopo, does not rest here, but his roots do. Vatia is the source of the Tuiasosopo name worldwide.

The person who presides over this village of 800 is one of six living men holding the rank of High Talking Chief. Chief Asovalu Tuiasosopo also is Marques' grandfather.

College football fans who witnessed Marques' performance against Stanford last season would not have blinked upon learning the quarterback descended from royal stock.

After all, his father is Manu Tuiasosopo, former UCLA and NFL defensive lineman. And he's Samoan. Samoans have football in their blood.

Barring injury, Marques will become the Huskies' all-time total offense leader this season. He is an All-America candidate and, with impressive performances on a national stage in Washington's rugged non-conference schedule, he could become a Heisman Trophy contender.

Marques figures to receive more attention in the national press than any other Washington player. When he does, his burgeoning fame will travel 6,000 miles to this South Pacific island, where his name already carries a special weight.

"They see his name in the paper and on the news," Chief Tuiasosopo said. "Everyone is excited about my grandson. The Samoan name makes him well known."

That is undoubtedly true. Those first inquiring about Marques can't help but ask about his last name, which can challenge an awkward tongue.

But Marques' mother, Tina, is white. Her people are Polish and German. That makes Marques "afakasi" -- of mixed blood in Samoan -- and, well, American, in the U.S.

"I'm American -- I was born and raised here," Marques said. "I'm half Samoan and that's something I am proud of. It's part of who I am. But I'm proud of the white side of my family, too. I'm not one more than the other."

Not your average quarterback

When pundits and fans talk about Marques, they don't use words that typically describe quarterbacks.

ABC broadcaster Keith Jackson dubbed him "The Warrior." Marques' toughness, competitiveness and athletic ability are lauded far more than any quarterback flashiness or stratospheric statistics. He's also preternaturally team-oriented, unselfish and humble.

"He has that gift that special athletes possess," Washington head coach Rick Neuheisel said. "The way they play and the energy they exude make others play harder. Michael Jordan is a prime example.

"Our kids will follow Marques down any alley. We're fortunate he chooses good alleys."

The values Marques embodies -- unselfishness, hard work and a respect for authority -- are part of the fa'a Samoa, the Samoan Way. So is football, a sport that Samoans have succeeded in to an extraordinary degree.

Sports and values are powerful presences within the Tuiasosopo family. Brother Zach is a freshman linebacker for the Huskies, while sister Leslie played volleyball at Washington. The Tuiasosopo family tree includes numerous relatives who played college and/or professional football.

Ask Manu if he is proud of Marques and he rephrases the question. He says he is proud of all his children.

"Manu and Tina have done such a great job raising those kids," said former Washington State quarterback Jack Thompson, a fellow Seattle Samoan who played against Manu in college.

"Young Samoan kids look up to the Marques Tuiasosopos of the world. And not just Samoans. He embodies everything the NCAA wants a student-athlete to be."

Family matters

It would be reasonable to assume that Marques, who is also an excellent student, is a beneficiary of the fa'a Samoa passed down from his father's traditional side of the family. Island values are cited as often as natural athletic ability when explaining Samoan success in sports.

It's not that simple.

Manu's parents divorced when he was 6. While Samoan families are extremely patriarchal, the values Manu, the oldest of five sons, learned and passed down to his children evolved primarily from his mother, Sorepa Tagaloa -- "Grandma T" -- who lives in Seattle.

Grandma T was the one who gave Manu the go-ahead to play football when coaches pleaded with her to allow the 200-pound eighth-grader to give the sport a try. Grandma T also provided Manu plenty of the hard-driving Samoan competitiveness.

"It could be playing cards -- there's always fierce competition with Samoans -- and it's passed down through the generations," said Manu, before laughing.

"Mama T always wins ... but she cheats."

Manu stresses that the life lessons he and his wife imparted to their children aren't any secret Samoan formula, but are universal.

"We don't overplay the Samoan card," Manu said. "Our values are Biblical values. My wife isn't Samoan, and she shares those values."

Marques smiles when he remembers his rambunctious youth. His home might have emphasized discipline, but he often tested its limits.

As a toddler, he climbed out a window and paid an unexpected visit to a neighbor's house, leaving his babysitter in a frenzy.

It might be hard to believe, based on how he conducts himself now, but Marques readily admits that he was a bit of a bully and troublemaker as a young boy. He often found himself at the receiving end of discipline, which included frequent lessons taught by a paddle.

"I'd get spanked and have to sit in my room for three hours and think about what I did," he said. "(Spanking) works. It's something a parent does because you love (your child). That was the worst punishment when I was little. I got a lot of them."

New Husky fans

Because of Marques, many Samoans will be Washington fans this year, even if it goes against the grain of their college loyalties.

"I root for Marques with no hesitation," Thompson said. "I want him to get the Heisman Trophy. Blood is thicker than rivalries, I assure you -- even though it's that terrible team on Montlake."

Seahawks tight end Itula Mili, a BYU graduate, will be sharing a stadium with Marques this season. Mili said he may even try to catch a Huskies game on Saturday before he plays on Sunday.

"Oh, yeah, I would definitely go watch him play," Mili said. "I watched him in that game where he had, what, 200 yards rushing and (300) yards passing. I usually go back to my school and brag to those quarterbacks at BYU that we've got a Samoan kid over here at Washington who can run and throw."

While the NFL is king in American Samoa, Marques and the numerous island natives playing in the Pac-10 have brought the college game to the forefront.

"Everybody knows about Marques," said Eni Faleomavaega, the non-voting congressman from American Samoa. "The Tuiasosopo family is building quite a legacy. Not only as athletes, but as good role models for our people."

Marques has earned the attention. A second-team All-Pac-10 quarterback a year ago, his 2,762 yards of total offense rank first on the Huskies' all-time, single-season list.

He completed 58 percent of his passes last year -- tops in the conference -- for 2,221 yards with 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 541 yards, which was 10th overall in the conference and first among quarterbacks. He also was the team co-leader with six rushing touchdowns.

Marques needs 2,388 yards passing and 1,479 yards of total offense to become Washington's career leader in both categories. If he stays healthy, he should rewrite the Huskies' record books, which includes names like Sonny Sixkiller, Warren Moon, Chris Chandler, Mark Brunell and Damon Huard.

And, of course, college football fans know he rushed for 207 yards and passed for 302 against Stanford, becoming the first quarterback in NCAA history to eclipse 200 yards rushing and 300 yards passing in a single game.

"He's capable of the whole enchilada this year," Neuheisel said. "He can be an All-American quarterback and he can win the Heisman Trophy. Anything he achieves this year wouldn't surprise me at all."

Marques will have at least 500 new fans. That's the number of Tuiasosopos in the world, according to Chief Tuiasosopo, and 300 of them live in Vatia.

Between two worlds

Chief Tuiasosopo, 75, is presently visiting Southern California. He said he plans to attend at least a couple of Washington games this year.

While he said he closely follows his grandson's career -- and produces pictures to prove it -- he last saw Marques play when he was leading Woodinville High School.

Chief Tuiasosopo left American Samoa in the 1950s to join the U.S. Navy and settled in Long Beach, Calif. He returned home in 1990.

"I came back to take the family name and title," he said. "We are not exactly Tuiasosopo unless I took the title in my hand."

The relationship between Manu and his father is uneasy, and not only because of the divorce. Chief Tuiasosopo wants Manu to take over the family title, which would include a move to American Samoa.

"This is their real home, their real family," Chief Tuiasosopo said. "I tell Manu, 'You are Samoan, not palagi (white).' "

For Manu to assume the family title would be difficult on two fronts. For one, no U.S.-born Samoan has become a chief. Second, Manu and his family are firmly entrenched in the states.

"I know that's what he's wanted for his children," Manu said. "I'm very proud of my heritage. But this is where we want to raise our family."

Manu was last in American Samoa in the 1980s. His family has never been there, mostly because of the extraordinary expense. Manu estimated the cost at more than $10,000 for his seven-member family.

For his part, Marques said he intends to visit American Samoa when he can afford it -- perhaps after signing a NFL contract.

Marques also has made some effort to learn more about his roots. He has been reading a book about Samoan history and he has learned a limited amount of the language.

Moreover, he's also trying to learn to love taro, a nutritious root that is the staple of the Samoan diet and the main ingredient in poi, the bane of every U.S. tourist in Hawaii.

"I like it more than when I first started eating it," Marques said. "They make fun of you if you're Samoan and don't eat it. My grandmother calls me 'whitey.' "

Marques is American and Samoan. He embraces both parts of who he is.

"I don't see myself as one or the other," he said. "But I'm glad I can give the Samoan people a name and face to be proud of. I'm glad I can give them someone to root for."