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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Brighton senior Sione Lund has been one of the most highly recruited football players the state of Utah has ever produced.
The 17-year-old seems to have it all: He's a punishing rusher, and he has a high football IQ and a scholarship from Stanford.
But that wasn’t always the case.
Lund has faced challenges like few kids his age, and it is only through his faith and his family that he has overcome it to become one of the best football players in the state, ranked the best fullback in the nation by ESPN.com.
Seven years ago, everything changed.
“It was pretty chaotic, to be honest with you,” he said. “Just with what was happening with my biological parents.”
The lowest point came when Lund’s biological father Clyde Heimuli suffered a stroke when the future football prodigy was in grade school. The illness eventually took his life, and Sione was adopted by the Lund family when he was just 10 years old.
“It was dark. It definitely was dark and it was a low point in my life at such a young age,” Sione said. “I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was lost. The first thought that came to my mind was what am I going to do to help my little brothers? What am I going to do that’s best for me and my future?”
Sione met his best friend Noah Lund at age 10. The Little League football teammates quickly grew a bond that was more like brothers.
“It was sixth grade Little League football, and he was just a beast,” Noah said. “I met him and we just connected immediately. We were just best friends from there. We were always hanging out and we always had sleepovers.”
The friendship grew into brotherhood — literally when Noah’s family adopted Sione.
“Sione has always kind of had an old soul,” Sione’s mother Richelle Lund said. “He’s kind of thought about his future, probably more than most kids, for sure more than most kids his own age. At 10, to say ‘look, I’m going this route and I’m going to make it.’”
After his father’s death, Sione and his youngest brother Sam moved in with the Lunds. He asked them to adopt him.
The relationship was never awkward. Sione forged an immediate bond with his new family.
“I have people ask me, ‘when did you know you loved him?’” Richelle said. “Immediately we had a bond. Immediately we loved him. It felt right from the beginning.”
Added Noah: “I had another brother. I loved him already. Once it was finalized, it was the greatest experience I’ve ever had.”
The paperwork took some time, but the adoption is now official. With the move, Sione changed his name from Heimuli-Lund to Lund.
“I came running into the house and it was nothing new. All the guys were like, hey, what’s up man. They weren’t mad about it,” Sione said. “Everyone was loving and welcoming, so it was the best feeling.
“Coming here has definitely helped my life and blessed me in many ways.”
It was a decision that wasn’t easy.
“It was hard at first, but at the same time, I love the name Lund,” Sione said. “It just felt right. I felt like I had a lot more responsibility coming with that name, and for me, the Lunds have given me everything.”
Through it all, Sione has leaned on one thing.
“My faith. Without a doubt, I went through a time in my life when I was confused and lost,” he said. “I was converted into the LDS faith and I think that’s something that’s helped me through all this.
“My faith has kept me hanging in there for as long as it’s been.”
Sione’s hard work on the field is matched by what he does in the classroom. His dreams were achieved when Stanford began recruiting him to play football — and receive a top-tier college education.
When he committed, he told Cardinal coach David Shaw that he plans to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was a decision that Shaw not only supported, but encouraged.
Sione never thought fulfilling his dreams was possible. Now he has a message for others who have suffered through tragedy and adversity like him.
“Don’t give up. At the beginning of this, I could’ve folded. I could’ve given up and gone back home and given up on my dream of football and everything,” Sione said. “The Lord blesses you with many things, and if you keep working hard and hold on, everything will work out.”
