Faumuina Lee Lauvao recalled telling her 6-foot-3, 300-pound only child: "You convince me. Give me 10 reasons why you want to go to a particular school, and I will support you whole-heartedly."

With the approach of Feb. 2, the first day a football recruit may sign a binding national letter of intent with a university, players and their families across the state are sorting through once-in-a-lifetime offers.

For Shaun, the process "has been a blessing. I'm very fortunate."

Faumuina said her son cannot attend college without financial assistance.

"I was thinking, 'Oh, my goodness, I have to apply for loans," she said. "Where in the world will I get the money? It was really stressful. Then this opportunity came along, and it's been a blessing."

What happened was Shaun had an impressive senior season at Farrington. Although he has played organized football for only two seasons, he improved dramatically between his junior and senior years.

As part of the Governors' conditioning program, he was tested in several strength disciplines. He bench-pressed 410 pounds and squat-lifted 225 pounds 40 times. He ran 40 yards in a pedestrian 5.35 seconds, but scored high in the agility test.

He drew comparisons to Patrick Kesi, a former Farrington and Washington offensive lineman.

"You don't have to worry about him in the weightroom or in the classroom," Farrington coach Randall Okimoto said. "Those are the two things college coaches hate to worry about. They don't want to hold a player's hand. With Shaun, you never have to worry."

Shaun's family mailbox in Waipahu has been flooded with offers. The NCAA allows a prospect a maximum of five recruiting trips. Shaun has visited Arizona State, Brigham Young and California. He is scheduled to visit Washington this weekend and Utah next week. He also said he will take an "unofficial visit" to the University of Hawai'i next week, in which he will pay for all of his expenses.

Before the rush of offers, Faumuina "really wanted him to go to UH. I wanted him to come home (on weekends) to have a warm meal."

She said she will leave the final decision to her son, although she had a role in paring the candidates.

She said she turned down a scholarship offer from Boise State because its coaches "never came down in person. That was the whole thing. I think it's extremely important to meet the coaches, including the head coach, if you have that opportunity. These are the people who will be with my son for four years. The first impression is very important to me. It is extremely important to come to your house, to see how the child lives, and to talk."

Washington coach Ty Wil-lingham visited the Lauvao's home yesterday. "It is an honor when a coach wants to visit," Faumuina said.

She also is wary of empty promises.

"When they ask what they can do to try and convince my child to come to their school," she said, "I tell them, 'Be yourself and be honest. Don't be something you're not.' I can see that. I work in a prison. I work with hundreds and hundreds of inmates, all walks of life. I can tell a person from miles away.

"I don't want (the coaches) to say this and that when they know it's not true. When you come to my house and tell me, 'We promise your son will start,' well, please, don't even go there with me. You tell me 'there's a great opportunity for your son to start if he works hard,' that's a different story, because we all have to work hard. Shaun knows there will be extreme competition wherever he goes. He doesn't mind working hard. That's how he got here."