There is one DE in the Buffalo Bills right now who was also the finest discus throw player in college. Do you know who that is? He is the Bills No. 57 AJ Epenesa. After the Bills picked him up from Iowa, Epenesa has played for five years for the same organization. Epenesa’s journey started with a $5,877,299 contract, signed for four years in 2020 and now he is earning $12,000,000 for two years of contract with the Bills.

This all started when AJ Epenesa’s parents nurtured his mind to see himself as a football player. Epenesa spent his childhood playing and practicing with two brothers at Glen Carbon, Ill., outside St. Louis. After leaving the American Samoa region, the Epenesa family moved to Iowa to fulfill AJ Epenesa’s dream to conquer the NFL, which was impossible without two people- his mom and dad, Eppy and Stephanie.

Who are Eppy Epenesa and Stephanie Epenesa?

AJ Epenesa’s dad, Eppy, is the biggest supporter of his son. He played college football at Iowa College. And guess what? He was also used to play at the defensive line like AJ Epenesa. At Iowa, Epenesa was the highest-rated player. At that time, Kirk Ferentz used to coach for Iowa. But even before that, Epenesa earned a name in the All-Freshmen Big Ten Conference team. Talking about his dad, AJ said he’s from “Pawoo Pawoo American Samoa,” emphasizing that he respects the Samoan culture a lot.

AJ Epenesa’s mom, Stephanie, was a volleyball player at EHS. It is said that Stephanie Epenesa was a standout volleyball player in college. She was so good that Stephanie also earned a scholarship for that. Eppy and Stephanie met in the early 1990s and got hitched. Their eldest son, A.J., was born on September 15, 1998. And it was a blessing for the Epenesa family. At the collegiate level, AJ showed his skills like a beast. He had a total of 101 tackles in Iowa, in addition to 26.5 sacks and nine forced fumbles. Truly amazing!

How has AJ Epenesa’s NFL roots propelled him to the limelight?

AJ was so good at football in school days that his football coach once said, “Whichever team drafts him is getting him at the right time. Because the arrow is continuing to go up.” And this was impossible to happen without his football genes. While his father undoubtedly contributed to his football skills, his mother, Stephanie, also played a crucial role in his athletic journey. Stephanie was a volleyball player in school. With those genetically strong physical tools like height and wide shoulders, AJ used to look like a college boy instead of a school kid. On this ‘issue’, Eppy Epenesa once said that he used to carry AJ’s birth certificate at college games.

That’s why Epenesa’s grateful heart always says, “Whenever I have the chance to go back. I definitely want to give back as well.” In the 2024 NFL season, AJ Epenesa has done a good job at a defensive end. He has tackled for a total of 39 times, and out of that, 23 tackles were solos. Apart from tackles, AJ has played great at sacking the quarterbacks. He has successfully sacked six times after playing 17 regular season games and 1 post-season win against the Denver Broncos.

Eppy and Stephanie’s father must be proud of AJ Epenesa’s NFL success. Five years ago, Eppy was happily answering an interviewer, “AJ is da*n good at football.” He might not have any idea while saying that, as his son was destined to play at higher levels in the big leagues.