Avengers’ Ulufale Mourns Loss of Two Brothers in Short Span

His brothers, Tali and Semeri, would have wanted him to be on the field.

That simple belief is motivating Mike Ulufale of the Avengers to play on Sunday in the season opener against Arizona.

Otherwise, the 32-year-old lineman said, he would still be racked with pain over his brothers’ deaths, which occurred in a span of about 24 hours late last month in Hawaii.

“Being on the field and being part of a team, which is like another family, definitely helps,” said Ulufale, the youngest of 14 children. “I want to play well for my brothers the whole season. I’m dedicating this season to them.”

Tali, 44, married and the father of five, died, apparently of a heart attack, Jan. 21 on Maui.

After receiving word of his brother’s death from a niece, Mike spoke by phone with 46-year-old Semeri, a former football player at the University of Hawaii and the father of four. “He was devastated,” said Mike Ulufale, who is married and has four children. “He told me to be strong and take care of business with the Avengers and that he loved me.”

A few hours later, after consoling his mother and other family members, Semeri suffered seizures in his sleep at his home on Oahu and died.

“He pretty much died of a broken heart,” Ulufale said. “Tali and Semeri were so close growing up. He couldn’t handle it.”

After hearing of Semeri’s death, Mike Ulufale traveled to Hawaii. He returned to Los Angeles last weekend.

A wake for Tali and Semeri will be held in Hawaii on Monday, with burial Tuesday.

“It’s a tragic situation and we all tried to pay our respects to Mike and his family,” Coach Ed Hodgkiss said. “We gave him as much time as he needed, talked to him, and he seemed to be in the right frame of mind to carry forward. He obviously can take any more time that he needs.”