GILBERT, AZ — Former Highland High School and University of Utah offensive lineman Caleb Lomu was drafted to the New England Patriots on Thursday, but his impact in his hometown of Gilbert goes far beyond the football field.
Coaches remember Lomu as a force on the field during his time at Highland High School.
"State championship game... he was going against a Division One kid all night long... and he just abused the kid," Coach Terry Fair said.
Fair noted that Lomu's growth wasn't just physical, but also mental.
"When I first saw Caleb, I thought—this kid’s special... he had the talent... but he was interested in the little things, the details," Fair said.
"He would ask questions about why. Why are we doing this, coach? Well, because this is what they're going to do and so this is how we're going to counter that," Fair said.
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Lomu’s coaches said he was shaped by his family and the Gilbert community. They said he continues to donate his time to the next generation of athletes by attending youth camps and clinics.
"He talked about his little league football days and how that was a family and how if his mom couldn't get him to practice and somebody else was there to pick him up," Fair said.
Highland High School Athletic Director Brandon Larson said Lomu is known for his elite character.
"He would literally talk to people in the hallways. He would help out. I remember I saw a kid trip one time, and he was the first one there to help lift them up. So, when you talk about just elite character, I mean this, this kid. And that's why he's going to make it to the league and he's going to be a lifetime league player," Larson said.
For the next generation of athletes watching Lomu's journey, his success makes their own goals feel possible.
"Your goals and your dreams are achievable. He went through this with the same coaches, the same weight room you guys are lifting in," Fair concluded.
