BYU offensive lineman Sione Veikoso dies in construction accident

Brigham Young University offensive lineman Sione Veikoso died Friday in a construction accident in his Hawaiian hometown, school officials said. He was 22.

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Veikoso was part of a six-person crew working on a 15-foot retaining wall outside a home in Kailua when it collapsed and trapped three of them, The Salt Lake Tribune and KITV reported.

Veikoso was pronounced dead on the scene, his family confirmed to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Two other men were taken to an area hospital in serious but stable condition, according to the television station. Another man injured at the site declined to be taken to a hospital.

BYU football coach Kalani Sitake called the freshman lineman’s death “heartbreaking.”

“We are extremely saddened to learn of the tragic death of one of our brothers, Sione Veikoso,” Cougars coach Kalani Sitake tweeted. “His passing is heartbreaking to all of us. We offer our deepest condolences and prayers to his family as we share in their grief. Our love for you is forever, Sione!”

Veikoso graduated from Kailua High School, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. From 2018 to 2020, he served a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil, according to his profile in the BYU media guide.

He transferred to BYU from Arizona State, KSL-TV reported.

BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe also tweeted his condolences to the lineman’s family.

The 6-foot-7, 305-pound Veikoso played in one game as a redshirt freshman this season for BYU, ESPN reported. He appeared in one game at Arizona State before transferring.

“He was a gentle giant who loved his family. He was reliable and caring,” Joshua Kava, Veikoso’s cousin, wrote in a statement to the Star-Advertiser.

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