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SAN MATEO — For a football coach, Nusi Malani is like a wind-up toy — a prepackaged 6-foot-6, 250-pound defensive end with a motor that won’t stop and a willingness to cross the line of scrimmage with reckless abandon.
The three-star recruit with nine scholarship offers anchored a lockdown defense for Serra, which allowed just 10.1 points per game against its Central Coast Section opponents and recorded four shutouts en route to reaching a state final.
For this, the West Catholic Athletic defensive lineman of the year is also the Bay Area Preps HQ’s defensive player of the year.
“One-hundred times out of 100 I will take a player who may have too much energy, charisma, confidence and try to channel it and guide it than try to dial it up,” Serra coach Patrick Walsh said. “With Nusi all we had to do was guide his emotion and make sure it was always pointed in the right direction.”
Malani, who grew up clashing against older boys, is a modern-day gladiator.
“I have great passion for this sport,” he said. “ I’ve played it since the second grade. I wouldn’t say that I’m a different person at times, but I just get excited to hit someone or make a tackle or make the crowd go crazy.”
Over the span of five weeks to close out the regular season, Malani recorded four sacks to help Serra claim the No. 1 overall seed in the CCS playoffs.
In the semifinals against Wilcox, the strong-side pass rusher recorded a season-high nine tackles and single-handedly forced a fumble that he recovered in the second half.
But that’s not his personal highlight as a senior. Forever etched in his memory is Sept. 6, when the Padres took the field at Levi’s Stadium.
“Even though we went to CCS, NorCal and state, it was just different,” Malani said.
In uniform as a sophomore when Serra won its 2017 state title, the memory of last month’s loss during another CIF Division 1-A final at Cerritos College in Norwalk still feels fresh.
“It hurt the most that one night we were there in L.A., but I just cried it out with my brothers by my side,” Malani said. “It still hurts and forever will hurt, but it’s toned down a little bit. I have so much pride in Serra.”
It’s the Padre brotherhood that’s only strengthened his faith.
“I will never forget anyone on my team, especially the seniors,” Malani said. “We were dreaming about going to state since our freshman year and now I see the Padre brotherhood different. We ride and die for each other. All the seniors, all my boys on the team will be at my wedding. I’ve always got them and I know they’ve got me.”
Malani took a recruiting trip to Nebraska in the fall. He plans to visit Virginia this week.
Other college offers include Boise State, BYU, Colorado and Arizona State.
“I feel like I’m barely reaching where I’m supposed to be and I’m just going to keep climbing,” Malani said. “I’m just going to keep doing me and I feel like do have better days.”
Walsh wouldn’t be surprised to watch his prized pupil play beyond the next level.
“I think he is just scratching the surface of his potential,” Walsh said. “The sky is the limit for Nusi — if he had a chance to play on Sundays I would not be surprised.”
