The standard bearer: Son of military policeman featured on CBS Sports

  • Published
  • By David Bedard
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Standing at 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing just over 300 pounds, Wesley Sau¬vao, son of Army Staff Sgt. Eneriko Sauvao, 793rd Military Police Battalion, might seem conspicuous anywhere else, but not on the collegiate football field.

That is unless the younger Sauvao exits the stadium tunnel streaming a large U.S. flag at the head of the University of Central Florida "Knights" football team.

That's precisely what Wesley Sauvao did last Nov. 21 in the team's home finale against Tulane University, before the Knights easily defeated the "Green Wave" in a 49-0 route, earning the team a berth in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

The defensive tackle said he received the flag from his father, who flew the colors during his yearlong deployment with the 793rd MP's 545th Military Police Company.

"I was a part of the military family, and I am proud of the fact my father goes out and puts his life on the line," Wesley Sauvao said of his reasons to ask UCF Head Foot¬ball Coach George O'Leary to bear the flag. "The team may have never been exposed to anything like that. It shows we have a bigger fan base than what we see in front of us at the stadium."

Wesley Sauvao said his father got his entire company involved, beginning a relationship between 545th MP and the Knights football team.

"My dad got his Soldiers involved, tak¬ing pictures, sending a flag, things like that," he explained. "That gives someone the moti¬vation to want to fight and to do something, whether just for a football game or going out and serving the country."

The story was featured recently on CBS College Sport Network's College Football Confidential, when the network was embed¬ded with the team while the Knights were preparing for their Sept. 11 game against North Carolina State University.

"They heard about how, last year, when my dad was down range in Iraq, he sent me the flag and a bunch of pictures for me and the team," Wesley Sauvao said.

Unlike many football stars who are groomed from grade school, the defensive tackle said he wasn't ex¬posed to football until much later.

"I started my freshman year in high school," he recalled. "I just signed up for the football team and went out and just started playing from there.

"And then my sophomore and junior years, college coaches and scouts were coming out and looking at me," Wes¬ley Sauvao contin¬ued. "My senior year, I got a bunch of of¬fers from different schools. I went out on official visits and that's when I picked UCF."

Sergeant Sauvao said he was re-classifying his military occupational spe¬cialty from infantryman to military police¬man, when he heard his son was trying out for the football team.

"Ever since then, I tried to encourage him," he said. "I tried to give him some idea of what football is supposed to be, even though I've never played a game of football, I used to play rugby."

Popular in the Independent State of Sa¬moa where he grew up, Sergeant Sauvao said the sports aren't so dissimilar, he couldn't impart his wisdom to his budding athlete son.
"I gave him an idea of how to act and react when you step out on the field," he said.

Stationed at Fort Polk, La., Sergeant Sauvao said he took advantage of a program which extend-ed his three-year tour to four years, allowing his son to develop his fledgling foot¬ball career at Leesville High School.

The younger Sauvao said he credits growing up in an Army family with much of his suc¬cess, teach¬ing him how to quickly re¬late to new people and adapting to changing circumstances.

"I liked growing up in a military family," Wesley Sauvao said. "It was good always moving to a new place and learning about different areas you move to and meeting new people."
The fifth-year senior said he earned a degree in criminal justice and psychology and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in legal studies.

Despite taking what he said he feels is a risk, Wesley Sauvao said he will continue to play football while watching his graduating peers take advantage of internships pursuant to their upstart careers.

"I just liked playing football," he said of his motives. "I'm a tactician-type person. I like to do well in everything I do, whether it's school or sports. So I just kept working at it more and more, and I'm still trying to work on it now, trying to be the best that I can in football.
"I love the game of football. I love work¬ing hard and competing. I love to wake up everyday, go out and do it."

For his part, Sergeant Sauvao said he is pleased with his son's football career.
"I'm very proud of him, of all of his ac¬complishments," the MP said. "For him and his career, it was him that made the choice to join the football team in Leesville his freshman year. He was on his way, and we supported him 110 percent."
Sergeant Sauvao said his son's decision to take to the field with the flag he flew in Iraq had implications beyond the stadium.

"It lets the community know how Sol¬diers, not just me, serve, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. "Our families support us, and we support our families."