HONOLULU — Brigham Young University offensive lineman Sione Veikoso was killed in a construction accident in his hometown in Hawaii, family members said.

Veikoso, 22, died Friday after a retaining wall he was helping repair during holiday break from school collapsed, his family confirmed. The Honolulu Fire Department reported that three others were injured when the 15-foot rock wall partially fell behind a home in Kailua, which is about 12 miles northeast of Honolulu.

“He was a gentle giant who loved his family. He was reliable and caring,” Veikoso’s cousin Joshua Kava said in a written statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

The 6-foot-7, 305-pound lineman had completed his first season at BYU, where he transferred after one year at Arizona State, while retaining four years of football eligibility.

Veikoso's football coach at Kailua High School, Hauoli Wong, reacted to the news with disbelief.

"You never had to worry about him, whether it was on the football field, or in the weight room, or in the community or in the classroom," Wong told Spectrum News. "You never had to worry about him because he was on his way to being, I’ll be honest, one of the great ones."

Wong had recently spoken to BYU coach Kalani Sitake, his former college teammate, and Sitake had glowed about Veikoso's bright future. Veikoso had played just one game at Arizona State and one for the Cougars in 2022 but was projected to be a mainstay on the line for the next three years.

Veikoso's work ethic set him apart, said Wong, who could not recall ever having to yell at him to get him motivated, or worrying about a mistake coming from left tackle, where Veikoso was a stalwart before graduating in 2018.

That same work ethic led to Veikoso helping in the family construction business during his time at home in Kailua for the holidays.

"Sione’s that type of guy, I believe, he’s a superstar. He came from humble beginnings," Wong said. "That’s the family’s business and that’s his character and work ethic. ... It’s just a tragic event and freak accident. It’s sad on any level to happen to anyone. But for such a young man with so much going for him, it’s tough, man."

Firefighters arrived at the home just before noon Friday to find the collapsed wall and bystanders using a small excavator to remove rocks trapping the men. Rescuers called them off because of the wall’s instability and manually removed rocks to free two of the men in about 15 minutes. But Veikoso was trapped deeper. He was removed about 12:30 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:35 p.m.

The homeowner told authorities she was having the stone wall repaired. A total of six people were at the scene. One man escaped the rubble before firefighters arrived but refused treatment and two were uninjured.

“Rest in Love Sione. God be with you till we meet again,” BYU football said in a tweet.

After high school, Veikoso spent two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Manaus, Brazil, before enrolling in college.

BYU football set up a GoFundMe page to support Veikoso's family for funeral expenses.