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DJ Uiagalelei pronunciation guide: How Seminoles fans should pronounce FSU quarterback's name
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- DJ Uiagalelei pronunciation guide: How Seminoles fans should pronounce FSU quarterback's name
With Florida State football heading to Dublin to take on ACC foe Georgia Tech in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, the Seminoles will look to get back to where they were last season — and will do so with a new quarterback under center in DJ Uiagalelei .
The 6-foot-4 quarterback will take over an FSU offense that had been operated by now-New York Jets quarterback Jordan Travis for the last four seasons, with Uiagalelei transferring from Oregon State over the offseason.
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REQUIRED READING: DJ Uiagalelei takes over as FSU football QB from Jordan Travis. How do you say his name?
"That's where I wanted to go the whole time," Uiagalelei told ESPN in January on why he transferred to FSU. "I didn't talk to many other programs. For the most part, I was locked in at Florida State. I appreciated them throughout the whole process. I wanted to be a Seminole. I wanted to be part of the program. I'm just blessed that Coach Norvell wanted to take me. I can't wait to get there and get to work."
While Uiagalelei is no stranger to college football — or the ACC for that matter, as he played at Clemson from 2020-22 — Seminoles fans who are watching him for the first time in garnet and gold may question how they should pronounce Uiagalelei's last name.
So how is Uiagalelei's last name pronounced? Here's what to know:
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How to pronounce DJ Uiagalelei
As noted in Florida State's media guide, DJ Uiagalelei's last name is pronounced phonetically as "oo-ee-AHN-guh-luh-lay."
And for people who want to hear his name said aloud, here's a guide from his former Clemson coach, Dabo Swinney:
DJ Uiagalelei's name origin, heritage
The new-Seminole quarterback is of Samoan descent on his father's side, per the Associated Press. He is also part German from his mother's side.
"I think it's a big thing to show us Polynesians, we don't have to play in Pac-12 or in different places," Uiagalelei told the Associated Press in 2020 on what he felt when Tua Tagovailoa — another player of Samoan descent — committed to Alabama .
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"I think this shows all the Polynesians you can play wherever you want if you have the talent."
He is from Inland Empire, California and played at the nationally renowned high school football program St. John Bosco. During his senior season there, Uiagalelei led the Braves to a No. 1 national ranking in the MaxPreps High School Rankings and a California 7A state championship title. 247Sports' Composite rankings listed Uiagalelei as the No. 10 nationally ranked prospect in the 2020 recruiting class.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DJ Uiagalelei pronunciation guide: How to pronounce FSU quarterback's name
