It’d been quite some time since he’d played this much football, period.

Vaenuku took a handoff from Nate Dahle and plunged into the end zone, a 1-yard score in the fourth quarter that proved, along with David Dellenbach’s extra point, to tally the game-winning points.

WSU’s roster labels Vaenuku as a linebacker. The depth chart has him with Chevy Robinson at defensive end. But Vaenuku just sees himself plainly as a believer and as a football player.

“Before being a football player, I like to think of myself as more of a man of faith who believes in God,” Vaenuku said. “Football’s given me a lot of opportunities to grow relationships with a lot of brothers that I’ve been able to become friends with, that I can be lifelong friends with.”

Robert Casey, Weber State Athletics

After studying at East High School in Salt Lake City, his family — he’s the fourth-oldest of 12 siblings — found a house in Tooele that fit them. The last time he’d carried the football in a game was Oct. 22, 2021, when he tallied 133 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in a Tooele playoff loss to Box Elder.

He was committed to play safety at Utah State but “some things happened for us,” says WSU defensive ends coach James Cowser, “and we got lucky getting him at Weber State.”

Vaenuku was just glad to have the chance, no matter what Weber’s plans were.

“I think the man above just gave me a great opportunity to come play Division I football. So I think it was just a blessing, and I was happy to come here,” Vaenuku said. “I learned from a lot of guys who took me under their wings and I learned a lot, fast. I didn’t really care whether I played offense or defense; I just wanted to play football.”

Football was there, but not much by way of games. Vaenuku battled injuries for two years, appearing in three games in 2022 and just two in 2023; in that second year, he recorded half of a sack in a win at Northern Iowa.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

“The first couple years here, unfortunately, it was injuries that kind of got him,” Cowser said. “But you could just see it, the potential he had. The couple games he got in, he lit it up. You could see the work ethic, the effort he puts in.”

With football wheels spinning a bit, Vaenuku traded his pads for a nametag. He left in 2024 to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and spent two years in New York City. He said it was a place he loved — “people from all over the world, it was amazing” — and where he better learned to lean on his faith.

With seven months left in New York, he learned WSU was changing head coaches.

“It took a lot of praying to know what I should do after a mission. But it happened really fast, and I think it happened for a reason, to keep myself as busy as the mission was,” Vaenuku said. “Some of the coaches called me and they said I can come back immediately, and so I did. I was just grateful to come back and be here.”

Vaenuku said Cowser and Tana Vea either remaining or returning to the coaching staff helped him feel good about returning himself to Weber State, and that having played against Eric Kjar in high school — “he really knows this game” — was a positive, too.

Robert Casey, Weber State Athletics

It was as fast a turnaround as one could imagine, but Cowser and company were waiting.

“Every month we were like, ‘When’s Mapa home? When’s Mapa home?'” Cowser said. “And then we got a text that hey, Mapa’s home and he wants to come back, and we’re freaking fired up.”

That was mid-July, just a couple weeks from fall camp.

“He came out in camp, fresh mission legs, but he was flying around. And some spots came open so I was just begging to get him as a D-end,” Cowser said.

Eventually Vaenuku showed up at the bottom of WSU’s printed camp roster, in the section of players yet to be assigned a number.

“I’m not going to lie, I was really nervous coming back into football, not playing the sport for two years,” Vaenuku said. “But some of the boys on the team — Raimoana (Tinirauarii), Porter Small, Chevy Robinson — they really gave me confidence that I can play and that I can dominate if I put my mind to it.

“Having them around me, teammates believing in me, it gave me belief in myself, and keeping my faith strong in God and trying to put him first.”

Now the junior is there on the defensive line, wearing No. 6. He recorded a career-high five tackles at Colorado and has tallied one sack in each of the last two games.

But back to the backfield.

Kjar has a heavyweight offensive package that includes linebacker/defensive line types lining up with the running back. The coach says it’s all about having guys who can “get physical” in short-yardage situations.

“It really is more about what can help our team,” Kjar said.

Vaenuku seemed like a perfect fit — not that he had to lobby for it in camp.

“They pretty much just told me I was in this package, and I thought it was fun,” he said.

His rushing totals so far this season: two carries, 2 yards, two touchdowns. But by their estimation, it does more than create a physical advantage.

“I think it does unite us a little bit and bring both sides together. Because you try not to be divided in groups, and we try to make sure our guys aren’t that way,” Kjar said.

“I think it boosts a lot of confidence within the team, and all the players that they can do more than they think,” Vaenuku said.

Spencer Ferguson was the tailback in the heavy package early this season. With him out for a week or two, it’s looking like Omar Shah (Vaenuku’s teammate at East) and Seth Rigtrup are up next.

Even more, Kjar said Zion Finau is about ready to join Vaenuku in the backfield formation. The sophomore defensive tackle had 13 tackles and one sack as a freshman, and one carry for 3 yards, and has worked back from a camp injury.

Whether or not Finau’s return means his touchdown-scoring days are over, Vaenuku’s fine with that.

“It’s pretty exciting having Zion there, and Omar. I grew up knowing those guys in high school. I think it’s fun we get to be there together, for sure,” Vaenuku said. “Zion’s a great player who loves contact so when he’s in there, surely I can punch it in, or Omar can punch it in, or Zion can do the job.

“I’ll be as happy if he scores, or if Omar scores.”