SALT LAKE CITY – Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker and former University of Utah player Devin Lloyd reached out to Ephraim Asiata with words of encouragement as he recovers from a January shooting that that took the lives of 14-year-old Tivani Lopati and 15-year-old Paul Tahi.

The video was originally posted by @tangi_asiata.

 

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“Ephraim! What’s going on man? This is Devin here. My boy… told me about what’s going with you man. I just wanted to give you a quick shoutout man. I just want you to know, and I know you don’t want to hear it, but everything truly does happen for a reason. God protected you because you’re okay right now. So, the biggest thing for you is to keep your mind sharp and understand that you’re going to come out stronger from this. You’re going to be better from this. I don’t know exactly what went down or how it happened, but I know that you’re alive right now for a reason man. So just keep remembering that and keep your spirits up. Keep your spirits with Him. I promise that’s He’s going to strengthen you. Just stay high man. Keep your spirits high man and I’m praying for you.”

 

Ephraim Asiata is a star football player at Hunter High

A dual-sport athlete like his father at Hunter, Ephraim Asiata, was beginning to take off on the recruiting trail this winter. He received a football scholarship offer to play at the University of Wisconsin. Throughout the 2021 football season, Asiata made unofficial visits to the Hill to watch the Pac-12 Champion Utah Utes in action at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

ONE DAY AT A TIME #GodSpeed pic.twitter.com/TQesKDUtR7

— Ephraim Asiata (@AsiataEphraim44) March 14, 2022

Asiata has excelled at the linebacker position, garnering early recruiting attention after his sophomore season.

But football isn’t the priority right now; it’s all about continuing to defy the odds.

“He’s just, he’s a miracle,” Atiga said. “Anything outside of the bed it’s, it’s a miracle.” 

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