Sione Veikoso, BYU Football Player, Dead at 22

Sione Veikoso, a Brigham Young University (BYU) football player, died on Friday. He was 22 years old. According to multiple reports, Veikoso died after retaining a wall collapsed at a construction project in his hometown of Kailua, Hawaii. He was caught beneath some rubble after a 15-foot wall collapsed. According to the Honolulu Fire Department, three other people were injured in the accident. Bystanders attempted to move rocks from atop the trapped individuals as firefighters arrived on the scene. Veikoso was trapped deeper than the others and was pronounced dead at 1:35 p.m. local time.

“We are extremely saddened to learn of the tragic death of one of our brothers, Sione Veikoso,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said in a statement on Twitter. “His passing is heartbreaking to all of us. We offer our deepest condolences and prayers to his family as we share in their grief. Our love for you is forever, Sione!

On behalf of the entire BYU Football family, our thoughts and prayers are with Sione's family and friends during this extremely difficult time.

Rest in Love Sione. God be with you till we meet again. pic.twitter.com/Bn0oW4kylY

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 31, 2022

“The BYU Football Family mourns the passing of our dear teammate and fellow Cougar, Sione Veikoso,” Tom Holmoe, BYU’s athletic director, also tweeted. “May his family and friends feel our love and faith at this most sacred and difficult time. Peace be with you now and forever Sione.”  BYU recently launched a GoFundMe page to help Veikoso’s family with funeral expenses. The page closed on Monday, and the school raised nearly $30,000. 

Veikoso, a freshman offensive lineman, played in one game this season after transferring from Arizona State last summer. In 2021, Veikoso played in one game for Arizona State during a redshirt season. According to 247Sports, Veikoso was a two-star prospect from the class of 2018. He was ranked the 108th-best offensive guard in the country and the 15th-best player in Hawaii. After high school, Veikoso served on a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Manaus, Brazil from 2018 to 2020. 

BYU finished the 2022 season with an 8-5 record and a win against SMU in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 17. The Cougars have been playing as an independent since 2011 but will join the Big 12 Conference next season. Since its first season in 1922, BYU has won 23 conference championships and won a national championship in 1984.