Sewell

Great long-read on Penei Sewell, All Pro offensive tackle of the Detroit Lions (erstwhile of the Oregon Ducks). There’s plenty of stuff here about life and sports in American Samoa, which has become a football factory:

In the early 1990s, Tropical Cyclones Ofa and Val hit American Samoa, devastating the small island chain located roughly halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. The Malaeimi village house Gabe Sewell lived in with his parents, sister, brother and two cousins was destroyed. Half of the structure still stood, but all that was left of the other half was wood planks, tin roof decking and other building materials. Gabe and the boys cleaned up the debris and used it to build a second house on the property. It was only 400 square feet, but they fortified and expanded it over time.

They called it “The Shack,” and it later became the home of Gabe, his wife, Arlene, and their five children — including Penei, the third of their four sons.

The Shack didn’t have a sink in the area they called the kitchen, so the boys took the dinner dishes with them in the shower. If it was raining hard enough, they didn’t turn on the water because the rusted roof above them leaked so much. There was no air conditioning, washer, dryer or vacuum cleaner. They had a television, but only a few channels, and to get reception they usually had to slap the back of it.

The Shack had just one bedroom, but it was designated as the holding place for clothes so no one slept in it. Instead, in the living room, they put down a large mattress a few inches thick. Gabe and Arlene lay in the middle with the kids surrounding them. Often, it wasn’t just immediate family. They frequently were joined by a cousin and other kids from the island — with as many as 11 people at a time sleeping on that mattress.

Early in his career obviously, but Sewell has Hall of Fame talent. By February he might also have a Superbowl ring. It’s shame that offensive lineman never receive any serious consideration for post-season awards, because Penei is as critical to the Lions’ success as anyone on the team.