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SALT LAKE CITY — He’s a four-year starter, a Morris Trophy winner and one of the best offensive guards to play at the University of Utah.
And soon, Isaac Asiata hopes to introduce himself as an NFL player.
“That sounds great,” Asiata said. “That sounds like a lot of hard work paying off.”
A lot of hard work has also led to a lot of fun for the cousin of former Ute standout and current Minnesota Vikings running back Matt Asiata. But it wasn’t always fun, Isaac Asiata admits.
“At first, it was kind of intimidating,” Asiata said. “I remember talking to my wife before we went to California to train, and I told her how nervous I was. She helped me realize how good I am at what I do, and that I should have confidence in myself.
“After I switched to that mindset, it became really easy for me. I’ve had a great time these past few months.”
Asiata didn’t look nervous at the annual NFL Draft Combine, winking at the camera and smiling his way through drills. The two-time all-Pac 12 guard from Spanish Fork ran a 5.34 40-yard dash — just outside the top-15 among offensive linemen — and added a 25.5 inch vertical jump and a 102-inch broad jump.
Then he put up a remarkable 35 reps on the bench press, wowing the crowd of scouts, coaches and general managers.
“It was fun, and at first, it was very intimidating,” he said. “You hear horror stories about the sleep schedule in Indianapolis, and a bunch of different things. But when I got there, I still had that mindset that these guys wanted me here to see what I can do, and I know what I can do. I just had fun with it, enjoyed it, and was being me.”
There were a lot of reasons to laugh at the Combine, too.
“The weirdest question I’ve ever got was Kyle Shanahan asking me about my wife,” Asiata said. “He asked me how I married her, if I tricked her into it. I told her I was way too ugly to marry my wife.
“We had a good laugh … I’m way too ugly for the NFL, but it’s OK because I have a beautiful wife.”
Asiata then went to Utah Pro Day, where he improved on a few times — but most importantly, supported his teammates, including Hunter Dimick when he bested Asiata’s bench-press mark.
“What you didn’t do so well at the Combine, that’s what Pro Day is for. It’s also great for guys who didn’t get an invite to showcase their Pro Day,” Asiata said. “Hunter’s been overlooked his entire life, since high school. He’s been proving people wrong since then.
“We were baffled when Hunter didn’t get an invite to the Combine. Then to see a lot of that frustration let loose, he killed it at the Pro Day. It was awesome to see as a friend, as a brother, as a teammate.”
Click the video above to see more of Asiata’s interview with KSL Sports, including his thoughts on social media and his schedule for the next month until the NFL draft.
