Utah Tech University Athletics

At Utah Tech 2023 (RS-Senior): Started in the first four games of the year before suffering a season-ending injury at Missouri State (9/23) … finished the year with 11 total tackles, 1.5 TFLs and 1.0 sack … recorded a 53-yard interception return and touchdown in the road win at Northern Arizona (9/16) … posted season highs of four tackles against both Montana State (9/2) and Montana (9/9) … also forced a fumble at Missouri State. 
 
At Utah Tech 2022 (RS-Junior): Played in all 11 games with nine starts and recorded a 32 total tackles (19 solo) including seven tackles for loss and a pair of sacks ... racked all seven TFLs over his final five games, highlighted by a career-high 3.0 TFLs at Stephen F. Austin (10/29) ... registered his first two sacks and tied a career-high with five total tackles vs. Tarleton State (11/12) ... finished the year with two QBHs, one pass break-up, and a blocked kick ... earned Academic All-WAC honors.

At Utah Tech Fall 2021 (COVID Junior): Played in four games with one start and finished with three tackles (2 solo) with 0.5 TFL and one fumble recovery.
 
At Utah Tech Spring 2021 (Junior): Played in all five games in the spring and tallied eight total tackles with six solo stops … posted a season high five tackles (4 solo) in the finale vs. Fort Lewis (3/27).    
 
Before Utah Tech: Collected Bay-6 first team all-league honors as a sophomore at College of San Mateo ... collected 20 total tackles, including 7.5 TFLs with four sacks ... earned four varsity letters in football at Fremont High School ... garnered all-league MVP and team defensive MVP honors … stats and highlights are not available.
 
More on Sam: Born in Tonga ... parents are Mesui and Nanise Kanongata’a ... also recruited by BYU, Arizona, Colorado and Mercer, along with several D-II programs ... favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers ... favorite athlete is LeBron James ... currently majoring in Technical Writing and Digital Rhetoric. 
 
Why Sam chose Utah Tech: “I chose Utah Tech because I see myself growing as a player here.”