Oregon Center Iapani 'Poncho' Laloulu Shares Biggest Motivation for the Season

When it comes to the Oregon Ducks' success on the offense in the past three season, a major component of the effectiveness on the field can be traced back to center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu.

One of the heavily-anticipated veterans returning to Eugene for the 2026 season, Laloulu has proven to be a leader in the locker room, aiding Oregon as the centerpiece of now three completely reconstructed trenches over his tenure. But that leadership doesn't develop overnight; Laloulu has built the skills that made him a 2025 Rimington Award finalist and FWAA All-America first team since growing up in the projects of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Oregon offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu celebrates with fans as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Iapani Laloulu Opens Up About His Road To The Ducks

In an interview with analyst Yogi Roth and the Joe Moore Award, Laloulu spoke about the ups and downs of his personal life that's continued to motivate him today. One of the core memories that feels like a thread in Laloulu's moral tapestry is the passing of his 11-month-old brother, Mai, when he was a child.

Laloulu shared the moments with Roth as vivid as when he experienced them. The moments of waking up in the middle of the night to tragedy, his parents' grief, and describing the light Mai brought to himself and the people surrounding him.

"I guess I just think, like, when times get hard, like in the workouts when the field starts to get all hectic and when things start to get tough, I just... there's something in the back of my head just remember, you know, there's people out there in heaven just looking down at you just smiling and day to day I don't want to let them down. It's probably the biggest thing and I'm just driven every single day because I want to be the light for everyone," Laloulu said to Roth about how he honors his late brother.

There's also an internal push for Laloulu to be an example for those back home. During his talk with Roth, Laloulu emphasized how he looks fondly back on growing up on the islands, but always knew he wanted to show kids just like him that, "there are much more bigger things than Hawaii."

"Hawaii will always be home. It will always be there," Laloulu said before stating that pushing himself and others to go outside of their home to accomplish big dreams with the love of their region never fading.

Oregon’s Iapani Laloulu, center, leads the team onto the field before the game against Oklahoma State at Autzen. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Stepping Into The Leadership Role

For Laloulu, that version of support for others is something he approached quietly until stepping up for now Las Vegas Raider Jackson Powers-Johnson in the 2023 Fiesta Bowl against Liberty. Funny enough, Laloulu admits in this interview that he originally didn't want the responsibility of snapping the ball, but fate had another plan.

From that day forward, Laloulu continued to work on his voice in the locker room and trenches until Oregon faced Oregon State in Corvallis during the 2024 season. After switching Laloulu from guard back to center, it became clear Laloulu was the path forward for the Ducks.

The veteran center not only credits coach Dan Lanning and offensive line coach A'lique Terry for their continued mentorship that helped mold him into the man he is today, but also former teammates that worked alongside him.

That's a common thread for Laloulu no matter if he's speaking to a reporter, explaining his process to his team, or appearing in a spot with the Oregon video team: humility and gratefulness. Laloulu commonly stresses his awareness of being apart of a top program, and that approaching his duty on the line in faith and with a service-oriented mindset is what grounds him.

Fighting Ducks offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu snaps the ball as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Pressure Makes Diamonds

When asked about why he returned to the Ducks, Laloulu's message is clear: he doesn't feel his work with Oregon is done. Laloulu also spoke for the other veterans that returned to the team, claiming those that decided to come back know what their job is to accomplish.

"Yeah, we talk about it every single day," Laloulu said. "We preach it every single day. That's, so, we got slides. We got like the Big Ten Championship, Joe Moore, and then the Natty is what we say in the o-line room. So we, coach Terry, just go down the line and we say Natty at the end. So, I think that's our main focus as a unit."

From a freshman with a spark to serve to a leader that literally walks out on Lanning's right side almost every game, Laloulu stands as an athlete sure of his mission.

Entering the 2026 season with a progression in skills every single year, this interview shows the kind of mentality that not only motivates Laloulu as a top center in the nation, but also shows the mentality of an offensive line corps focused on making sure that instead of being a finalist for the Joe Moore Award for the third straight year like in 2025, they come away with the massive trophy as more.

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