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South San Francisco H.S. (South San Francisco, CA)
Ht: 6-foot-3
Wt: 340 lbs
40:
Rivals rating: unrated DT
Scout rating: 2*; #129 DT
ESPN rating: unrated DT
247s rating: unrated DT
Reported Offers:
Rivals article (interview with Marcus Rios from Cal State All-Star game):
... a very standout D-lineman, Rika Levi," Rios said. "Rika played really well at the game. He doesn't have any offers now, but I have a feeling that he will. He's a really good player. (Colorado and Miami are now looking at Levi.)
247 Sports had a chance to talk to Levi at the event:
At 6-2, 340 pounds, Levi stands out in a crowd and he has stood out to offensive and defensive players alike this week with his play along the line of scrimmage. Levi has great power, good feet and balance, and he plays with energy and intensity. Along with Top247 prospect Aziz Shittu, Levi has been one of the top defensive linemen at the event.
This fall, Levi recorded over 60 tackles, many of which came behind the line of scrimmage, and he also landed eight sacks on the season. Despite his play, Levi has yet to earn so much as a sniff from college coaches. He’s hoping that will soon change.
“College coaches don’t know about me because I didn’t get a lot of publicity but I feel like I an play at the next level,” Levi said. “I feel like a lot of the coaches (at the Cal-State Game) like me so hopefully that will persuade them to talk to other coaches and get my name out there. I’m just trying to get better and trying to go to college.”
http://247sports.com/Article/Cal-Sta...sleepers-54209
He's mentioned in good company. Want!
Leach: Do you want to fight a buffalo? I don't know, those buffalo are big. You know, buffalo are significantly bigger than elk. I grew up near Yellowstone so I've been near buffalo. Buffalo are huge. And then the other thing I've always gotten a kick out of: When you play Colorado, there's those buffalo dragging those six handler around. Those handlers aren't dragging the buffalo. The buffalo's dragging him.
340 is BIG. Dare I say too big? Sione Tau comes to mind.
We've already got a fb.Originally Posted by beltway buff
If you watch the highlight video, he doesn't look too big at all. Just looks like a NT.
Why has he not received any interest? Are his coaches just not proactive?
Glad you asked. Here's the Rika Levi story:
Being a man on the football field is no problem for Rika Levi.
The 6-foot-3, 350-pound South San Francisco High lineman towers over his competition and uses his combination of size and athleticism to dominate opponents.
But after making it through a difficult stretch this summer which included a family tragedy and the possibility of moving away from where he called home, the senior has grown into a man among boys off the field as well.
It all began in late June, when Levi had to move from his Daly City home because his mother, Tanya Levi, could not afford to pay rent. Things got even worse when Tanya’s father, Ono Semo, passed away from cancer on July 3.
Semo played a major role in Levi’s upbringing, so much so that his mother said Rika called him “dad.” Levi’s biological father was not in his life for most of his childhood, making Semo the influential male figure in his life.
“He practically raised me,” Levi said of his grandfather. “When I was a kid, he played that father figure for me.”
Levi had to witness the effects of cancer on his grandfather, and was in his hospital room along with family when he took his last breath. The traumatic experiences continued as Levi had to accompany his mother and younger brother to Oakland, where they were to stay with a relative until his mother could become financially secure again.
After becoming a standout on the South City football team and growing close with his teammates, Levi didn’t know how to tell them he had to leave. His mother told coach Frank Moro the news instead.
“I’ve been with the team and I’ve been doing so good. All of a sudden you’ve got to leave,” said Levi, a first-team All-County pick as a junior. “How do you break that down to a team that you love, a team that you’ve been calling your family for so long?”
The move to Oakland meant Levi had to face the prospect of attending a new school and joining a new football program. Levi respected his mother’s decision, but was not in favor of the move.
Instead of being his usual cheerful self, Levi was clearly in low spirits in Oakland. He just didn’t feel right being away from Daly City and summer practice with his teammates.
“I would tell him to do something and he would have an attitude, so it just wasn’t right,” Tanya Levi said of her son’s behavior after the move. “Normally he’s not like that.”
As it turned out, Levi never actually had to worry about enrolling in a new school. Because the move caused a rift between son and mother and changed Levi’s personality so much, he was allowed to move back and stay with an uncle in Daly City.
In mid-August, Levi asked Moro if the team would take him back. Levi wasn’t sure if his teammates would allow it after his sudden departure, but he was welcomed into the family again.
The Warriors now have a beefed-up line with Levi back in the huddle, but that’s not the reason why he was allowed back.
“(The team) didn’t say ‘Oh yeah great, we’ve got Rika back, we’re going to win a couple more games.’ No, Rika was allowed back because Rika was a part of our family, because we really care about Rika and we want what’s best for him because he’s one of us,” Moro said.
Even after joining the team, Levi’s work wasn’t finished. Before he could play in games he had to take part in 10 practices, during which he had to earn his starting spot back. He did just that, and started on the defensive line in wins against Mountain View on Sept. 16 and Jefferson on Sept. 23.
Junior Anthony Ameperosa, a fellow lineman and close friend of Levi’s, said he has gotten better since summer workouts, and can move his mammoth frame much faster now.
“When the ball is snapped, I look up and he’s in the backfield,” Ameperosa said. “I’m like ‘what happened?’”
His improvement on the field is coupled with a more calm and responsible demeanor. Ameperosa’s relationship with Levi, whom he considers a mentor and “older brother,” is a testament to the impact Levi wants to have on others. He has learned that he represents not only himself with his actions, but his family as well.
He now lets his mother know when he is going somewhere and tells her in advance if he won’t be able to make curfew. A taunt from an opponent may have drawn a reaction from the younger Levi, but he doesn’t lose his cool now.
A stressful summer which initially looked to be the start of a senior year at a new school has changed Levi. South San Francisco will enjoy a grown-up defensive tackle for the rest of the season, and if he achieves his dream of playing in college and the NFL, his future teams will get an athlete with an appreciation for family and a mature outlook.
“He’s more humble now, he doesn’t take everything so seriously,” Tanya Levi said. “He’s become a grown person already. He’s matured.”
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_190414...ercurynews.com
"I have talked to [Buffaloes defensive tackles] coach [Mike] Tuiasosopo...."
Adam's on it today. Already has an interview.
I'd be happy to have a guy with the character of Rika on the Buffs...but, are we going to sign ten DL this spring?
maybe. some wlil RS, 1 probably won't get in (playing the odds here), some will move to OL, some may move to OLB, etc.
Well, if we land this kid, I'm going to go out on a limb and say he won't be moving to OLB.
Still not seeing that Rika has landed anywhere. JUCO wouldn't surprise me.
Man, he'd sure look sweet playing zero-technique for the Buffs. Hopefully we can find a way to bring him in somehow....
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