December 31 — BYU offensive lineman Sione Veikoso died in a construction accident in his hometown in Hawaii, Cougars coach Kalani Sitake confirmed Saturday. This news is shocking and heartbreaking to those around him and the entire football fraternity.
Veikoso, 22, was working on a 15-foot retaining wall when it collapsed on Friday in Kailua, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Several people were trapped in the rubble and two other workers were injured and are in serious condition, KITV reported. No cause for the accident has been determined.
“We are extremely saddened to learn of the tragic death of one of our brothers, Sione Veikoso,” Sitake posted on Twitter.
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“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!”
The 6-foot-7, 305-pound Veikoso appeared in one game as a redshirt freshman with BYU in 2022. He spent the 2021 season at Arizona State before transferring.
He served a full-time religious mission in Brazil from 2018-20 after graduating from Kailua High School. –Field Level Media
