Buccaneers Draft 2017: Three Things To Know About Stevie Tu’ikolovatu
By Bailey Adams
2. He Lived In His Car Last Summer
As detailed very well in this article by the Los Angeles Times, Tu’ikolovatu lived in his car last summer before joining the USC football team in the fall. From the article:
"Tu’ikolovatu was planning to transfer to USC. But NCAA rules prohibit a school from providing a recruit with benefits, like a stipend or housing, until he is enrolled. That would happen once his transcript arrived from Utah. But the paperwork was taking some time."
Following his big season for Utah in 2015, he decided to transfer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology, making him eligible to join USC as a graduate transfer. However, his transcripts were processing last summer, making him ineligible to enroll right away. Because of that, he stayed in his car. For part of that time, he was away from his wife, Kalo. She stayed in Salt Lake City with her job at a local hospital. She soon quit the job and moved into the car with him, waiting until he could receive his student-athlete housing in the fall.
In total, he lived in his car for about a month and a half. Once his transcript situation was resolved, he and his wife moved into the housing provided by USC. He didn’t complain about his situation, instead exercising the “old soul” that his wife describes. The Bucs definitely added an interesting guy to their roster with this pick.