Hours after signing with Cal, Desert Pines’ Poutasi Poutasi’s mother dies

Senior Poutasi Poutasi announces his decision to play college football for University of California, Desert Pines High School, Las Vegas, February. 1, 2017. (Elizabeth Brumley/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @EliPagePhoto

Just hours after Desert Pines senior Poutasi Poutasi signed a national letter of intent to play at California, the offensive lineman’s mother died.

Poutasi announced via Twitter that his mother, Vaelua Poutasi, had died later Wednesday afternoon from complications caused by diabetes.

“My beautiful mother took her last breath today,” Poutasi tweeted. “Today was signing day, the day where I make her proud, the day where she can say my son is going to school for free.

“My mom is the strongest person I’ll ever come to know, seeing her take her last breath was just unbelievable. I honestly thought you were going to stay with me forever, but God had other plans in mind.”

Poutasi was one of 11 Desert Pines players to make their college choices official at a ceremony at the school on Wednesday morning. Hours later, Poutasi tweeted a picture of himself with his mother in the hospital.