Connor Doyle

Saturday's line for Joe Siofele read like this: five tackles, one sack and one gaping hole in his heart.

Less than two months ago, Siofele's brother John died in a car accident on a highway en route to Honolulu.

Police reports stated that his car crossed the centerline and ran headfirst into a bus in the early morning hours. It was later revealed that the former prep star, who was about to begin his freshman season at the University of Hawaii, had a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit.

So while most of Siofele's teammates at Arizona were lifting weights in preparation for the season, he was burying his brother and asking himself why his brother made such a costly mistake.

Shortly after the death, he faced a great deal of pressure to transfer to Hawaii and take his brother's spot on the team.

There, he would be closer to his family and the friends he grew up with. But the junior linebacker ÷ who redshirted his freshman year ÷ didn't want to leave the friends he had made in the Arizona program, with whom he had spent the last four years.

RANDY METCALF/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA junior linebacker Joe Siofele takes down NAU quarterback Clint Womack for a loss of five yeards during Saturday's win. After the sack in the first quarter, Siofele pounded his chest once and pointed to the sky to salute his younger brother who died over the summer.

So he stayed, and he worked hard. He said he's never been so dedicated to football in his life.

"It pushes me even harder, now that I know I have to go out there and play for two guys," Siofele said.

While Siofele may be playing for two, he wasn't alone in his pain.

Only a short time before his death, John Siofele had been in Tucson, working out with his brother and his teammates.

So when the rest of the team was told about the death, it struck a little closer to home.

"We were real emotional," said Jarvie Worcester, the team's senior free safety.

"Joe's brother was out here training with us a little at the beginning of summer and he was just like Joe, a real personable guy. You just hate to hear about something like that happening."

And for Siofele, training camp became more than practice ÷ it was therapy.

"I've dedicated the season to my brother, so after (the sack) I just put it up to him." -Joe Siofele

"Especially as the weeks went on, during training camp being with the guys and just being around them, it's helped me a lot," Siofele said.

"It's been very important, because they've been very supportive and all the guys have been there backing me up and giving me a real family environment."

Just making it to Saturday's game was a huge step for Siofele.

The next huge step came four plays into the season, when he sacked Lumberjacks quarterback Clint Womack for a five-yard loss.

His celebration afterward was somewhat muted.

He jumped up, pounded his chest once and pointed up to the sky.

"I've dedicated the season to my brother, so after (the sack) I just put it up to him," Siofele said after the game.

There's still a lot of games left to play this year, and Siofele knows he still has a lot of progress to make ÷ both on and off the field.

But he can take solace in knowing his teammates will be with him every step and every tackle along the way.

"Joe's got a family here with the guys," Worcester said. "We'll be here for him no matter what."