Those adjustments mean a lot of moving pieces for young people entering the realm of professional soccer, and especially joining the most visible team in the league and the one that carries the highest expectations both inside and outside the building.
For now, it’s about boiling it down to a series of tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
“I would say the biggest adjustment is learning to be a professional,” Liufau said. “I’m just learning how to be a professional and obviously it’s a new environment – everything is different. So (it’s about) creating your new routine. When you get here, as a rookie, find a routine that works for you.”
The Hawaiian-born linebacker attracted interest from the Cowboys this spring not only for his ability to impact games physically, but also mentally with his exceptional football IQ.
It will lean heavily on the latter to help facilitate the former in the future.
“(I’m) learning my playbook,” he said. “The quicker I can create my routine, the quicker I can get used to things and get going, and the more confident I will feel about my contributions on the field, whether it’s special teams or defense.”
His work ethic in both meetings and practices has quickly caught the attention of coaches and players alike, as third-year talent and former fourth-round pick Damone Clark pointed out after minicamp practice this week.
“He’s a sponge,” Clark said of Liufau. “He asks a lot of questions. He goes out and does everything at 110 percent. He gives it his all on every play and the sky is the limit for him. Marist will be one of them.”
That’s precisely what the Cowboys want to hear and see as the 2024 season approaches them over the next few weeks.
The decision to sign Liufau in April followed the signing of former first-team All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks in free agency (both are being considered, along with the return of another former third-round pick (2023) in DeMarvion Overshown) to help. Clark improves and rebuilds a unit that was in dire straits last season.
So far they’re off to a fast start, including chemistry.
“Eric Kendricks and Damone Clark have been great mentors to me,” Liufau said. “Our room is pretty close.”
Now comes a test of his self-motivation away from the Cowboys, as the team is entering its annual downtime that will stretch just over six weeks between the end of minicamp and departure to Oxnard on July 22.
And how exactly will Liufau manage that time away?
“The first thing is to stay in shape,” he said. “I’ll be training at my house in Hawaii. I have things prepared for that. And I make sure that, every day, I’m doing something to improve. It doesn’t have to be physical.
“It could be just looking at the playbook, but I want to do something every day to get better in some way.”
Smart plan of a smart young man.
Keynote USA
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