INO VITALE, TE
6-5, 245, Sailele, American Samoa (Nu’uuli-Poly Tech)
HIGH SCHOOL?A member of the All-Samoa All-Star team as a senior, participating in the prestigious Samoa Bowl, which annually pits native Samoans from Hawai’i and American Samoa against each other (American Samoa won, 14-6). A four-year starter at tight end, where he primarily was utilized as a blocker, he caught 30 passes for 600 yards and five touchdowns as a senior. He also saw some spot action at fullback, rushing 23 times for 100 yards and another score. Displaying his versatility despite his 6-5, 245-pound frame, he played quarterback in the final game of the season, as the two regulars were both injured (he completed three passes for 25 yards). Defensively, he started his junior and senior years at defensive end, with 40 tackles, 15 for losses including three sacks and a forced fumble as a senior. Top games as a senior: against Samoana, he caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown, and against Leone, he had six tackles, two for losses, including a sack while catching three balls on offense. His high school coach was Crim Sele, and Poly Tech’s offensive coordinator was former Buff Okland Salavea, who played defensive tackle for CU between 1987-89. He will also letter four times in basketball (center), and three years in soccer (fullback/sweeper).
ACADEMICS?He is interested in the engineering field as possible majors at Colorado.
PERSONAL?Born January 18, 1987 in Tutuila, American Samoa. Hobbies include playing basketball, and he also knows how to play the guitar. He spent several summers in Los Angeles with relatives, but saw snow for the first time on his recruiting trip (he made his first snowball, wearing the traditional Samoan lava lava, while on his recruiting visit at Eldora Ski Resort west of Boulder). CU found about him from former Buff Okland Salavea, an assistant coach at his high school, who contacted Donnell Leomiti, CU’s defensive technical intern and a native Samoan himself. (Name is pronounced E-no Vih-tahl-ay.)
