Joe Ward's eyes widened
He started shaking his head, too. When the Watauga Middle School football coach first spotted Halapoulivaati Vaitai and his two brothers at sixth grade registration, one thought flooded his mind.
"Our team," he whispered, "just got a whole lot better."
Vaitai stood taller than 6 feet as an 11-year-old. His brothers, with wacky names like Kevin and William, looked almost as massive, and because they were just 11 months younger, they were in the same grade as Halapoulivaati.
From the moment the three boys rolled into the Fort Worth, Texas-area school that day with their father, teachers and students took notice of their looming presence, Ward told PennLive in a phone interview this week. Their size and swift movements stood out from the rest of the preteens filling the hallways.
And while his brothers went on to play junior college football, Vaitai's prominence has continue to bloat. Sunday, he'll make his first professional start as the Philadelphia Eagles' right tackle in a contest against the Washington Redskins.
The Birds spurned other options to turn to Vaitai as the replacement for suspended starter Lane Johnson, thrusting the rookie fifth-round pick into a key role early in a promising season.
But after his sudden ascent into the starting lineup and local consciousness, Vaitai doesn't appear overly antsy or amped. He smiled and spoke softly in the Eagles' locker room Wednesday when reporters swarmed him to ask about his promotion.
"I'm not used to this," Vaitai said. "I'm not used to the cameras and stuff. I guess I got to get used to it now."
That type of response doesn't surprise Ward. Not a bit. For all the attention the Vaitais attracted with their size and strength, they never displayed an ounce of cockiness with their actions. Halapoulivaati rarely spoke out of turn, or much at all, Ward said.
He was most comfortable around his parents, who are from Tonga, and his brothers.
"He was such a respectful kid, and he was very into his family and his faith," Ward said. "The rest, everything else around him in football and all that, was secondary. He was just nice to everyone."
Such a reputation followed Vaitai — who teammates and Ward call "Big V" or, simply, "V" — through his days at pass-happy TCU and into the NFL.
"Yeah, he's a great kid," said fellow Eagles offensive tackle Matt Tobin, a four-year veteran. "He just doesn't say much."
Once Vaitai feels at ease, though, he sheds the shyness, Ward said.
And while the 23 year old's speaking tone might not turn heads, Ward insists Vaitai has a singing voice that matches his 6-foot-6, 320-pound frame. Vaitai and his brothers performed at Haltom High School talent shows and sang in their church choir, Ward said.
"He probably wouldn't tell you he's good singer," Ward said, "but trust me, he can sing."
When three teenage boys as big as the Vaitai brothers took the stage or walked into choir practice, they stood out. It hasn't been quite as easy for Halapoulivaati — named after his uncle — to impress amongst fellow NFL players during his rookie season, but he's made significant strides in practice, according to his coaches.
At TCU, Vaitai played in a spread offense that threw the ball about 40 times a game, so he came into the NFL with sound pass protection skills, offensive coordinator Frank Reich said last week. His challenge came when the Eagles called run plays.
Vaitai, who played defensive end and tight end at times in high school, had the athleticism to succeed as a run blocker — his skills just weren't polished entering training camp this summer. He started the preseason as the Eagles' third-string right tackle, and even after the Birds traded veteran Dennis Kelly, Vaitai's status on the team was uncertain.
During the preseason, Philly swung left guard Allen Barbre over to right tackle to prepare for Johnson's impending departure, leaving Vaitai without much concrete hope of working into the starting lineup.
But Vaitai's steady run-blocking improvements forced the Eagles to alter their plans once Johnson's suspension became official this week, head coach Doug Pederson said.
"Each week and each day, [he's] getting better and better and more comfortable at that position," Pederson said. "He's still kind of modifying and at the same time refining his skill over at right tackle."
In other words, the Eagles hope Vaitai continues to grow through his rookie season now that he'll have the chance to hit the field. Pederson said he's fully committed to sticking with Vaitai through Johnson's 10-game suspension, and the young tackle will have a chance to solidify his future with the organization if he can perform well.
Vaitai's a long distance from his family in Texas and far removed from his first waltz into Watauga Middle School, where he led the football team to two dominant seasons.
But Pederson, Reich and the rest of the Eagles have the same thought now Ward did more than a decade ago: That the big kid with Tongan roots and eight vowels in his first name could be crucial to sustained success.
"This is a big moment for me," Vaitai said. "I'm talking a big step. But, you know, this is my job now. I have to get it done."