Storm put football in perspective for UConn's Fatukasi

STORRS, Conn. (AP) Three years after Superstorm Sandy forced his family from their home, UConn's Foley Fatukasi has settled into a central part of the Huskies defensive line.

The 304-pound sophomore says he knows well what coach Bob Diaco means when he preaches about pulling together to overcome adversity.

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Fatukasi's home in Far Rockaway, New York, was rendered uninhabitable by the October 2012 storm. But football was his solace: he and his teammates scraped together equipment to keep their season going, even though Beach Channel High School was closed by Sandy.

Fatukasi says football was ''therapeutic'' for him then. But in his future, it may be his livelihood. Diaco says Fatukasi may have the size and talent to play in the NFL, and the perspective to be a successful human being.

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