In 2016, Barack Obama was still in office, TikTok didn't exist, the Falcons hadn't blown a 28-3 lead to Tom Brady and the Patriots, David Blough was a sophomore, and Darrell Hazell was still the football coach at Purdue.

A lot has changed since the first time Semisi Fakasiieki stepped onto campus in West Lafayette, a long way from his hometown of Compton, California.

After spending seven years in West Lafayette, it is finally time for Semisi Fakasiieki to take on the next chapter of his life.

"It’ll really be weird after 7 years but it’ll be a good change and less stressful change because honestly 7 was a lot. That’s 7 camps, 7 mat drills, 7 spring workouts, 7 summer workouts, 7 Maymester workouts, 7 years of academics and 7 seasons. Although I’ll miss it a lot, it'll be good for me to take a step back with the time I have to put all the pieces together."

He walked into Purdue football during one of its darkest seasons. Along the way he faced adversity, learned the game of football, dealt with injuries, and walked away a Big Ten West champion.

Coming out of high school, Fakasiieiki had just two division one offers, San Diego State and Purdue. He originally committed to the Aztecs, but later flipped to Purdue.

The Compton native played only one season of high school football but showed enough to earn an offer from the Purdue staff. During his senior season, he recorded 80 total tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries for Compton Dominguez.

"I came to Purdue from Compton in awe. I redshirted because I was so caught up in the 'college life' and was trying to live life before I even knew what living life was."

The transition to the college lifestyle was one that Fakasiieiki was excited for, but did not realize just how much was in store for him in West Lafayette.

"I didn’t play football until my last year of high school so my football IQ was nowhere to be found." Fakasiieiki said, "That was quickly exposed as soon as I got here. I didn’t know the difference between Cover 1,2,3, etc. X's and O's were foreign to me and I was out of shape when I arrived. I committed at 225 and arrived at 255."

Fakasiieiki was recruited as a linebacker out of high school, but was moved to defensive line early in his Purdue career. After getting to West Lafayette admittedly out of shape and lacking knowledge of the game, Fakasiieiki was asked to move around on the defense.

"My weight kept getting higher so I got moved down to the defensive line where the playbook wasn’t as mentally challenging. I moved around and hovered all over the defensive line and special teams for a while doing whatever I could to help the team."

Fakasiieiki had his fair share of struggles adapting to his new life at Purdue, but a promising future and expanding football knowledge gave him something to build off of.

"The growth is crazy." Fakasiieiki said.

The player Fakasiieiki turned into during the latter half of his career in West Lafayette was a far cry from the kid that stepped on campus back in 2016.

"My redshirt junior year is when I started to evolve and change as a player." Fakasiieiki said, "We had injuries that caused the linebacker room to lack depth, so I made the transition mid-season to go back and help the linebacker room."

That 2019 season was one of the best in the seven year career of Fakasiieiki. He totaled 38 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack in seven games. He was a key part of a Purdue defense alongside future NFL players George Karlaftis, Derrick Barnes, Jaylan Alexander and Markus Bailey.

Fakasiieiki found himself in a good place, growing into his new role, and becoming a contributor for the defense. Finally making a difference with the Boilermakers it seemed he was ready for a breakthrough, but injuries began to derail his confidence and keep him off the field..

"Even though this was when things started to change for me and I was playing a lot more, it somehow started to be the year my injuries started to compile. That same year I played that season with my left hamstring torn severely. I finished that season messed up physically and mentally."

After gaining momentum as a redshirt junior, Fakasiieiki played in just three games over the next two seasons, his fifth and sixth years with the program. The most devastating injury came ahead of the year Fakasiieiki was set to become one of the leaders on the Purdue defense.

"Then, when I thought it was my time to shine, I break my ankle completely and shattered all ligaments in my foot on the first day of camp. I sat out that year rehabbing trying to come back from that injury."

As the 2021 season was lost, Fakasiieiki applied for a seventh year of eligibility from the NCAA and was granted one more season in West Lafayette. That year turned out to be one of the most special in Purdue history.

The Boilermakers broke through and claimed the Big Ten West after winning their last three regular season games against Illinois, Northwestern and Indiana. That set up a Big Ten Championship Game appearance with Michigan in Indianapolis.

Despite the outcome against the Wolverines, Fakasiieiki will remember his final season in college football for the rest of his life.

The seventh year linebacker set a career-high with 24 solo tackles and had his best game of the season against Minnesota when he recorded 8 tackles in a Purdue win.

When asked what his favorite moment was at Purdue, Fakasiieiki said.

"My favorite moment at Purdue would have to be the Ohio State [2018] win for sure. The fans rushing the field was electric, but It is for sure tied for first with winning the [Big Ten] West this year which has been a goal for me and other Boilermakers forever. Definitely one I won’t forget."

In a long and winding road at Purdue, doing something that hadn't been accomplished in program history was the perfect way to send out the seventh year senior.

Fakasiieiki said he, "[I] couldn’t be more proud of my Boilermaker family."

As Fakasiieiki looks back on his Purdue career, he is grateful for the time he spent in West Lafayette and gives the people at Purdue credit for shaping the person he is as he departs.

"There are so many people at Purdue over the last seven years that have helped create and shape the man I am today. The many amazing connections I have made that have allowed me to change myself for the better can never be appreciated enough."

Over seven years in West Lafayette, there is no telling how many people he has crossed paths with at Purdue, but Fakasiieiki is grateful for every single one of them.

"All of my former coaches, strength staff, equipment staff, training staff, football operations staff, custodians, graduate assistants, and football assistants are all amazing and wonderful to work with." Fakasiieiki said.

Fakasiieiki also made it a point to thank his teammates for all that they have done for him.

"I can’t thank them enough for everything. The bonds I have made with all of my teammates, current and former, are unbreakable and will last a lifetime."

Now that his college football career is over, Fakasiieiki has options moving forward. He is interested in pursuing a professional football career, but has his mind set on other avenues as well.

"The future is never promised, but for now the goal is to get completely healthy and with this time off I plan on using it fully to my advantage with rehab, etc. Football will always be my heart and will jump at any opportunity to keep playing."

Although he would like to chase the dream of playing at the next level, Fakasiieiki knows he is more than just a football player. He is keeping his options open for his post-college career.

"But looking ahead to a future without it, I have a couple of job offers that I’m excited to get moving on so I would say I’m ready and excited to attack the real world. Whether it’s training for pro day, a new job position, or both, I know I’m going to hit either with everything I got."

Fakasiieiki has not yet confirmed that he will be partaking in Purdue's pro day this spring ahead of the NFL Draft, but it remains a possibility. Purdue has typically held its pro day for players looking to go to the next level at the end of March, but a date has not been announced for this year yet.

After seven years with the program, it will be a strange sight to not see Fakasiieiki on the sidelines for the Boilermakers.