Meet Casey Fua’au, one of Troy's newest defensive tackles

This story was originally featured in the Troy Athletics gameday program.

For senior defensive tackle Casey Fua’au, family is everything. It’s the reason he’s at Troy and the reason he’s the person he is today.  

“My biggest motivation is my family and everything they’ve poured into me to get to the point I am today,” Fua’au said. “My mom paid for a lot of things and drove me hours to go to camps outside of the city.” 

The Clarksville, Tennessee, native has one particularly strong family tie – his cousin Matt Henry. While looking for a place to transfer, Fua’au visited Troy with Henry, who is now Troy’s starting right guard. The pair decided to commit to the Trojans together. 

“[Henry] pushes me to be a better player because he’s one of the main players that has a big effect on our team,” Fua’au said. “I strive to compete with him a lot, and he just makes me better as a player.” 

Although Fua’au started playing football in middle school, he said he didn’t start taking it seriously until late in high school. After a brief stint with no playing time at New Mexico Military Institute, Fua’au transferred to Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. 

While playing on the offensive line, Fua’au started 10 out of 11 games and earned Second Team All-National Northern League honors. He also learned more about his heritage with the Bulldogs. 

“We had a lot of Samoans on the team, and that helped me embrace my culture and where I come from because there weren’t many Samoans in Tennessee,” Fua’au said. “Our culture is very family oriented, and Polynesians always treat each other like family. 

“I feel like when I got there, we all bonded and became like brothers.” 

Fua’au said he’s able to translate those lessons learned about his culture to the gridiron and his current team dynamics. 

“Brotherhood and camaraderie really help the team a lot,” Fua’au said. “Whenever you get on the field and it’s you going against the people in front of you, brotherhood drives you because you’re playing for something bigger than just yourself.” 

Despite playing offensive line most of his career – playing last season against Southern Miss and operating as part of a special teams unit that didn’t allow a blocked kick all season – Fua’au made the switch to the defensive line. He credits the Trojans coaching staff for guiding him through the tough switch. 

“Coach Manning really helped me develop in the way that defensive linemen are supposed to move and react,” Fua’au said. “I was slow at first, and I didn’t really understand much about playing defensive line. 

“Going through everything day-to-day and having all the other players help me out and coach me up is really helping me become better at the position I’m playing now.” 

Fua’au said he picked Troy with Henry because of the coaching staff. After their visit, the duo committed in early 2024. 

“The coaching staff is very good,” Fua’au said. “They really care about the players and have a strong vision.” 

During his time at college, Fua’au said he’s grown a lot in maturity and responsibility.  

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot more responsible,” Fua’au said. “I used to be irresponsible, and I wasn’t doing the things I had to do in the classroom, and I thought I might not play football again. 

“I went on to Allan Hancock and then got the opportunity to come to Troy, and I’ve done a lot better with responsibility and doing the things that I need to do.” 

Fua’au earned a spot on the depth chart after a strong offseason and looks to play a role for the Trojans in 2025.