Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa Exemplifies Excellence Through Adversity
It was a season to remember for the Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco football team in 2022, ending the season with a 13-1 record, including a state and national championship. A big part of the team’s success was the return of star 2024 linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.
The standout defender has been a name that we have all known for some time now. Viliamu-Asa started pulling in substantial scholarship offers and interest as a freshman, quickly becoming one of the top recruits in his class. That freshman year was not all sunshine and rainbows however. He would suffer a torn ACL toward the end of the season that would also cost him the entirety of his sophomore campaign.
In a recent interview with Irish Breakdown, Viliamu-Asa went in depth on his return from that injury and what this past season meant to him.
“I had a season ending injury my freshman year and I ended up sitting my whole sophomore year,” Viliamu-Asa began to explain. “This was a big year for me. It meant a lot to me, my family and my teammates. It was great to be back on the field with my teammates and be grateful for the blessings that I’ve been able to have.
“Being back on the field with my teammates this year was definitely a blessing for me,” he continued. “Fighting back from injury and rehab, it was a blessing to be able to get back and experience success.”
For those who don’t follow high school football too closely, St. John Bosco is one of the premier programs in the nation. On a year-to-year basis, they play against some of the premier programs from all over the country. Playing that competition is something that the Braves live for, which makes the results all that more sweeter.
“It was great,” Viliamu-Asa began. “It was great to be out there with my guys. Year in and year out, we play really good competition all around the country.
“This past year was definitely a testament to the work we put in,” he added. “ As a team, from the winter to the spring and the summer, we put a lot of work in on the field as a team. We developed as a team and got each other better everyday at practice. I’m proud of my team, man.”
It is usually a cliche to say that the “best team we play each week is the team we see every day in practice.” For the St. John Bosco program, that may actually be true. Working against so many great football players is something that Viliamu-Asa contributes heavily to the team’s on field success.
“Day in and day out, we got guys who are three-star, four-star and five-star guys,” he said. “Everyday in practice, you have to bring your best foot forward. I think that the great thing about Bosco is that we have really good guys at every single position. You’re going against a guy who is as good or better than you. It gets everybody better.”
The lone loss during the season for St. John Bosco was their 17-7 defeat to Mater Dei earlier in the season. They got the chance to see Mater Dei again in the playoffs, striking some revenge with a 24-22 victory to advance to the state championship game against Serra. That game stakes claim as the best game all season and one that Viliamu-Asa will remember forever.
“Man, it was great,” Viliamu-Asa explained. “It was a great feeling. I can’t even explain the feeling that we had in the Rose Bowl that night.
“After that loss, we had to dial it back down and we bounced back,” he added. “Then we got back after it. Our senior leaders stepped up and props to them. They really brought us together as a team. To finish it off with a bang like that, it meant everything to us.”
It is said that character is best shown when adversity strikes. Viliamu-Asa is a perfect example of how to work through the negativity and come out on top with class and dignity. The recruiting rankings and offers can exemplify just how special of a talent he is but it can’t fully quantify the character that he brings to the table as a person and competitor.
Viliamu-Asa is considered a four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform. He ranks highest on the Rivals ranking, currently sitting as the No. 60 overall player and No. 3 linebacker in the 2024 recruiting class. 247Sports sees the California star similarly, pegging him as the No. 69 overall player and No. 6 linebacker in the class.
The 6-2, 225-pound defender is being courted by some of the top programs in all of college football. A few of the premier offers that Viliamu-Asa boasts are the Irish, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, USC, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Penn State, Oregon, Michigan State, Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Washington, UCLA, Washington State, Oregon State, Arizona State, Boston College, Stanford, Arizona and Kansas among many others.
The California native put together a dynamic junior campaign for the 13-1 St. John Bosco team. He finished the season with 111 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks despite missing one game. Viliamu-Asa also recorded an interception, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup.
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