Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau probably won’t be able to do anything on a football field for six months, but he has already identified an area of focus where he can improve in the meantime.
Liufau, whose season ended with a Lisfranc injury in his left foot two weeks ago, believes he can become “a better leader” by becoming mentally stronger.
“I think I haven’t been the best leader,” said Liufau, a junior who has been CU’s starter for three seasons. “I just think sometimes I’m not the most vocal person. Sometimes I like to lead by example, and that doesn’t always work well with some guys. Everyone’s different. Everyone learns a different way. Everyone needs a different way to be led. I just have to do a better job, in my opinion, of doing that. I don’t think by any means I’m a terrible leader, but I think there’s room to improve.”
Liufau went down on the last play of the first quarter in a 27-24 loss to Southern California when a lineman fell on him on a sack.
“I was on the ball of my foot and the defender, (with) all his weight, came down and my foot didn’t straighten in time,” Liufau said Tuesday in his first remarks to the media since that night. “Unfortunate injury, but you live and move on from there.”
He got some coaching that night from his father, who was standing by a railing in the stands when Liufau pounded a training table in anger, knowing he was finished.
“I was really frustrated,” Liufau said. “I think the only other time I’ve been taken out of a game in terms of injury was a concussion last year. It kind of helped that my dad was right there. I didn’t know he was right there on the railing, but I could tell it was his voice. He told me not to slam the table, which really helped me kind of calm down. He told me to be a leader on the sideline for the rest of the game.
“It’s frustrating because you want to be out there with your teammates. I felt like I was in a really good rhythm for that game. But you live and you move on.”
After the game that night, Liufau talked to former CU linebacker Chad Brown, whom he called “Mr. Brown.” Brown had a Lisfranc injury when he was in the NFL.
“Having that after the game, it was a comforting feeling, knowing that it wasn’t career-ending,” Liufau said. “It will take some time, but I can come back and be my normal self.”
Liufau said he was “lucky” because no bones were broken in his foot.
“I’m going to do my best not to let it stop me,” Liufau said. “I think I still have some time left to play football, hopefully, and I’m just going to do my best to rehab and being able to walk again. That’s the first step for me.”
