Asi’s journey included mission to Canada

Sione Asi’s football journey to Stillwater took him through Reno, Nevada, and Ephraim, Utah. But his most important stop came between and out of the country.

Asi, a defensive tackle who will sign with Oklahoma State later this week during the early signing period, didn’t head straight to Snow College out of McQueen High School. Instead, after graduating in 2014, he embarked that December on a two-year Latter-day Saints mission to British Columbia, Canada.

“Everyone knows the reason we go out there is just to serve and to help people come closer to Jesus Christ, but other than that, man, it was just being around people out there,” Asi told

The Oklahoman. “That’s what I fell in love with about Canada, just the people.”

McQueen is from the same high school that produced Kyle Van Noy, a Patriots linebacker and second-round pick out of BYU. There was a time Asi, an all-region honoree on both sides of the ball for the Lancers, seemed bound for Provo, as well.

The Cougars had interest in offering a scholarship to Asi, McQueen coach Jim Snelling recalled, but borderline grades and a dropped government class made Asi a non-qualifier.

“That was kinda heartbreaking,” Snelling said. “Sione was a great football player, and even more so than that, he was a great person.

“Really was kind of everybody’s friend at the school, and then he had that ability to flip the switch and be a great competitor when he got on the field. He’s got a fire within him.”

Asi spent a few months working in Reno before heading north for his mission. In hindsight, Asi is thankful he put football on hold. The lessons learned in adaptability benefited him throughout his time at Snow.

“You wake up and they’ll tell you you’re gonna be moving areas or you’re gonna have a new partner,” Asi said. “I think that translated over. Right when I came back home, I went straight to Snow and just already had all that energy and was already into that routine of making sure everything was good.

“If I were to go straight from high school ... it was a big difference.”

The junior college route helped, as well. The Cowboys’ interest came late, with Asi’s only other offer coming from New Mexico. He committed Dec. 4, two days after he recorded 13 tackles, including five for loss, in Snow’s bowl game.

At 22, he’ll bring experience when he enrolls in January in hopes of making an immediate impact for an OSU team that will lose all six defensive linemen that started a game in 2018.

“I understand that everything’s gotta be earned, but I’m going in with the mindset that I’m there to fight for a starting position,” Asi said. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity that God gave me to go play at the next level.”