C.U.'s first Samoan quarterback Sal Aunese died at age 21

[PeeGeeBeeDee]

Eric BiEnemy

[Airsoftcleaner]

He was Colorado's version of The Gipper

[jahLoveme17]

thats myy uncle:( wish ii cud have met yu much love and be sure to tell myy dad ii love him!

[habbadou]

McCartney was a great coach but a horrible father. His boozing turned his daughter into a murdhsarking whore. Good riddance, Aunese!

[NextStep21]

@habbadou wow stay classy 

[statman29neb]

sad story, but video quality sucked nothing worse that using your video camera taping your TV, lame.. time to move into the 21st century.

[beckyhammonbest]

Rest In Peace Sal...unlike what those mean nebraska fans chanted in lincoln after you died "Sal is dead go big red"....totally classless!

[Chavezha20]

@beckyhammonbest little did u know his high is is big red football from vista ca

[LordJudgement1818]

I hate the buffs more then anything on the planet but i cant hate a samoan, their to cool. Im a neb fan so il always go against the buffs but rip their samoan

[StevenVerd]

RIP SAL. I saw your grave today at Eternal Hills. Your story will never be forgotten.

[curtains1298]

R.I.P Sal :(

From a Nebraska fan.

[LordHugenstein]

WOw. . now that is class. . A Nebraska fan showing respect! We need more fans like you. . not fanatics. . but fans!!

[LordHugenstein]

WOw. . now that is class. . A Nebraska fan showing respect! We need more fans like you. . not fanatics. . but fans!! Just like your former QB Berringer. . RIP!!!

[JJROSSIS]

I watched his last game he played in the 1988 freedom bowl the other night on classic sports even though he seemed sluggish that game as he was diagnosed just 3 months after that game sal was fighting for first downs playing physical he was so tough r.i.p. sal

[djinnov8]

Respect to our Polynesian brother...R.I.P.

[legoguy918]

He went to my high school, was a year ahead of me. I kinda knew him, and was sad about his passing. I can't believe it's been 20 years already. He was an awesome player.

[TBlazer33]

I followed this story all my senior year of high school, I got sick 2 years later during college. I was in the hospital for 10 days with an ITP blood dosorder which was 1 in a million at the time. I asked my aunt for a Colorado cap which sat over me for 3 days......I was let go and made a full recovery. I was only the 5th case of the disorder in 8 years at that hospital. I was the first ever to be released without going through a 3 hour blood plasma mechanical procedure.

[krs2545]

One of the great option QB's.

[jkjsooner]

stomach cancer

[afannell]

One of the Great University of Colorado QB's of all time. I wish his son would have gone to CU.

[hankseptember]

great CU teams!

[balancedeath]

been a BUFFS fan ever since

[RABJAB619]

R.I.P

[SignStudios]

why make a video with no sound..really enoying

[yzdrpepperkng]

RIP Sal

It will be 20 years ago this fall and there has been talk around campus about you. You were a great player, we sure could use your help this season

[lylhawk]

I was from Iowa, but grew up in Colorado at that time. My birthday is Sept 17th and on that day in 1988 Sal ripped my heart out with his performance against the Hawkeyes. As much as it hurt me to see my Hawks beat that day, I will never foget the respect that I had for Sal and what he did for the Buff's. RIP Sal U are missed.

[Vavauboi]

RIP.....respect, this ma usos unko,

RIP aunese

[Airsoftcleaner]

Colorado's Gipper

[adeaze111]

rip uce

[TAMAOSAM]

uso rest in peace

malo fai o le faiva

[broncosfan1415]

Sal, we love you, we are gonna beat Nebraska tomorrow, GO BUFFS

[bellazoe1]

Sal Aunese, imo, was the guy who really brought CU from the ashes and into a national power.

[yaucecano]

rest in peace uso!!

[bukowskibabe]

I went to high school school with Sal - he was a senior when I was a freshman. I didn't know him too well, but all the people I know who knew him -- including my older brothers -- said he was nothing but a nice guy. I remember watching him play high school football -- he lead our school to the state championship. Sal was awesome.

[buffsfreak]

And this Nebraska bitch wrote on the turnpike to one of the buffs games, "sal is dead, go big red." I hate Nebraska

[Husker377]

Sorry..

I loved watching Sal with the ball again.

[ulagirl760]

this is my uncle :)

i never got to meet him because

he died before i could..

but his memory lives on through

the memories and our love!

love you uncle sal♥

[JJROSSIS]

great post such an inspiration. sal was a tough kid. He played in the 1988 freedom bowl and 9 months later he was dead from that terrible cancer.

[usouljah297]

thats the uncle of tino pisasamoa he plays for rams i dont know if he still does but yeah

[rez128]

great post, even though I was just a kid I remeber my dad and I going to his service on campus. I'll never forget the game he inspired the Bufffs to a victory against a nationally ranked Illinois squad, after they disrespected them in the pre-game!. Will be cheering on T.C. regardless of what the rest of you losers posted. R.I.P Sal.

[bighank001]

i still remember that USO when i was nine in CALI. RIP SAL!!!!

[Mafiuso]

The Documentary of Sopoaga and Tinoisamoa had a section dedicated to Sal. pretty good documentary to show the uso's that are still HS athletes

[B5Erik]

I went to high school with Sal and got to know him a bit. Good guy from what I saw. One hell of a football player - he led the Vista Panthers to the State Championship in 1985.

I was thinking about Sal tonight as Vista CRUSHED 8th ranked Mission Viejo in a game they weren't supposed to win. They played with the same spirit Sal did!

[bukowskibabe]

VHS RULED!

I was a freshman when Sal was senior and lead VHS to the CIF championship. Sal was such a great guy.

[tolini]

shabeki man there always has to be a dork that spoils it. you must of been the one that had sex with the coach you dipstick. rip Sal alofas and respects

[MapleStoryLovers]

Nice video, good effort! My condolences!!! LISTEN TO OUR video on "maplestorylovers", the name of the song is Promises or Lies, I wrote the lyrics in remembrance, honor and dedication to my beloved father who passed away 4 years ago. Hope you'll like it! Give us some comments or response^^ Thanks...

[MTXSHO9732vV8SHO]

Damn Son. Who cares? Sal made noise here in San Diego and when he went to Colorado.  The rest is what it is and no one needs to know that mess but you anyway.

[porkadachop]

Shabeki, is this memorial really the place to write some inflamatory heresay?

I remember how the '89 team played such inspired ball in response to Sal's passing. That was a magical season.

[retrophillysoul]

porkadachop, it's a fact that Aunese is the father of TC. Facts, by definition, are not "inflammatory hearsay", so I don't get your point. I didn't find shabeki's comments to be disrespectful....just factual. And certainly not hearsay, since it was proven in court that he was/is the father.

[porkadachop]

Retrophilly,

The thing about much of the football team having sex with Ms. McCartney. That was the heresay I was speaking of.

[retrophillysoul]

gotcha. Actually, 4 players took paternity tests to determine who the father was. Then, in 1992, Ms. McCartney had another son by a Colorado player, Shannon Clavelle. So again, it's really not hearsay. I'm not knocking her...she can (and did) whatever she wants. But "facts is facts"...

[porkadachop]

I remember Clavelle. Wasn't he a reciever? When I first read those comments, they seemed much more inflammatory than they do now. Regardless, that was a hell of a season.

[Salailua71]

such a sad story...would like to know more about this wonderful young man.

[mollynfelix]

Wow excellent post and much alofa's to the Aunese Aiga!

[jlclsucu]

remember it well, what a sorrow for CU and his family.

[misha2314]

Very very nice.

Good work.

Peace. (misha)

[IncidentalHeroes]

This is so heartbreaking..... Such a loss, but clearly a hugely inspirational guy.

[swoleonz]

maan ive never heard of him..good footage.

[aratren]

türkçe bilen mi?

[thesummerof2007]

Incredible footage, very, very rare I would imagine.  Great post.

[jgbuffs1]

where did you get this footage? Thanks