When he scowled at opposing batters from the pitcher's mound, ABC-TV announcers dubbed the 12-year-old from 'Ewa Beach, "The Stare."

Heather Fe'ao, Vonn's mother, said it's a look she sees more often when her son plays Pee Wee football for the Waipi'o Panthers.

"It's his Tongan pride," she said.

But appearances can be deceiving. Others say the eighth-grader from 'Ilima Intermediate is one of the quietest boys on the West O'ahu team. He is more inclined to get angry at himself than an opponent.

Vonn is one of seven children, said his uncle, Donald Otuafi.

"He gets good grades," he said. "He does all his homework. He is a smart kid."

Mark Milton was Vonn's football coach last fall. He called him "as fiery a competitor as you will ever see" and also "a very religious kid."