Jodatoa's Blog Polynesian Football Players

Stamp of Approval To Go On American Haka

2011-10-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

It's the haka, but not as we know it.

As the All Blacks international fame grows, an American college football team has taken to performing a whooping, crowing, hybridised version of the team's haka Ka Mate before games.

Ka Mate guardians Ngati Toa said they have no problem with the team using the haka – but they could do with a bit of discipline and technique.

The San Mateo Bulldogs American Football team has posted footage of its pre-match haka on its Facebook page and it is clearly based on Ka Mate.

The players stand in a circle whooping and jumping during the routine which then breaks into part of another haka, possibly Ngati Kahungunu's Tika Tonu, at the end.

"You can't fault their enthusiasm," said Teariki Wi Neera, who is on Ngati Toa's Ka Mate sub-committee.

But he said their rendition was a bit like "a bad Coke ad".

"We're incredibly proud of Ka Mate and we prefer to see it done properly."

Wi Neera said Ngati Toa would be happy to provide some instruction, an offer Bulldogs assistant coach Tim Tulloch said his players would be "ecstatic" to receive.

Tulloch said the players started performing haka before their games in 2009 and that year the team won the Northern California championships.

"I think it catapulted us to that championship. There's not a game since we have been doing this that we have not been ready for battle."

The team performs the haka in the dressing room as performing it on the field is a "decorum violation". Two decorum violations see a team suspended from the competition.

Tulloch said San Mateo, just south of San Francisco, had a large Polynesian population and one of the players on the team, Samoan Lyman Faoliu, had selected the haka they wanted to perform.

Faoliu had taught the team about the haka's history and significance but some input from a real Maori tribe would be "amazing", Tulloch said.

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New York Jets Add Martin Tevaseu to Active Roster

2011-10-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Jets have signed defensive tackle Martin Tevaseu to the active roster.

The UNLV product was activated for the AFC Championship Game last season and played well in the snaps he got. He also started over Kenrick Ellis in preseason when Sione Pouha was hurt. This move probably makes it less likely you will see Ellis on Monday.

The move is timely since the Jets are facing a backup quarterback getting his first start of the year Monday.

I like Tevaseu. He has played pretty well in that Playoff game last year and then in stretches of preseason ball. This coaching staff seems to do very well drilling consistent technique into defensive linemen. The undrafted player could potentially work himself into the equation as part of the rotation if he plays well.

This might also send a message to the defensive line as the Jets have given up big rushing days two of the last three times out. It could also have to do with a knee injury Ropati Pitoitua is allegedly nursing.

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Pride Pushes Te'o To Greatness

2011-10-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

He's more than just a big man on campus.

Manti Te'o is Notre Dame's Big Kahuna.

The junior Irish linebacker is the most popular export from paradise since pineapples and the Elvis Presley Classic, "Blue Hawaii."

Here on the mainland, or any other land, the 6-foot-2, 255-pound Te'o is special.

He's a tackling machine, fueled by skill and precision. Every stop is a clinic, heavy on fundamentals.

Te'o is so good, Notre Dame football fans might be tempted to take him for granted. Opposing offenses certainly won't.

If he's not making 21 tackles, like he did last season against Stanford, Te'o's efforts risk being considered pedestrian.

In last week's win over Purdue, Te'o had eight tackles. Hardly eye-popping. But with three tackles for loss, including a sack, his performance caught the attention of head coach Brian Kelly.

"He might have had his best game against Purdue," Kelly said. "He was very detailed. He's never a guy we worry about in terms of how he's going to play. Sometimes he tries to do too much. I thought that was his most disciplined game.

"He can recognize things before they happen. That's film study. The really great players have that."

Te'o had somewhat of a challenge going into the Purdue game. Coaches didn't hesitate to remind him that last year's season-opener against Purdue may have been his worst game.

"We talked about (how bad he played against Purdue last year)," said Irish defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Bob Diaco. "He had a lot of opportunity for production that didn't happen."

"I obviously understand what kind of game I had last year," Te'o said. "It wasn't the kind of game I want to have. I was just looking to get better, make sure it didn't happen again."

While cutting his teeth as a big-time contributor within the Notre Dame defense last year, Te'o dealt with growing pains. Consistency suffered. One time he'd lay the wood. The next, he'd whiff.

"We identified liabilities in every single player," Diaco said. "The players that are really at the top of their game, it's easy to just overlook them and focus on ...

"(Te'o) had things in his scheme that he needed to clean up. In the offseason, I made a cut-up of plays of just him and gave him an opportunity to watch it. It made a pretty big impact on him. From that moment, he's made a concerted effort, not only to do the things that we're working on, but he takes a lot of time and focuses on his liabilities - angles, foot action, transition from speed to power. He's basically eradicated that from his game."

"That cut-up (Diaco) made, showed me the mistakes I made," Te'o said. "It started from my angles. I got to see what happened. When you look at it like that, you can visualize, analyze and correct it. My dad (Brian) helped me a lot, reminding me of basic tackling fundamentals.

"I'm still trying to find a balance (in tackling). I'm trying to knock somebody out every time I hit them. I'm learning, when I'm in space and it's open-field tackling, it's not necessarily smart to try to take somebody's head off.

"If there's an opportunity to take somebody out, I'll take advantage of that. If it's open-field and I need to get the guy down, I'll get the guy down."

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Time To Re-Sign Haloti Ngata

2011-09-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest stories of the Ravens offseason were the contract negotiations of Haloti Ngata. The Ravens defensive tackle holds the team’s franchise tag this season and was frequently referred to by local and national media as a reason that Baltimore was unable to make a large free agent splash. After week one, fans aren’t so worried about that anymore.

Ngata proved his worth once again with a dominant performance against the Ravens rival the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Baltimore’s 35-7 win, Ngata came up with two fumbles and tipped a pass that resulted in an interception. (It’s crazy to think that those turnovers were less than half of the defense’s total on the day!)

Ngata is a force on the Ravens defense. Not only can he cause chaos to quarterbacks and running backs, but he also has the speed to catch guys in the middle of the field. His size to speed ratio makes no sense, but it’s perfect for the Ravens d.

After the game, Ngata told Aaron Wilson that his contract status remains the same. He said that he lets his agents handle the deal, “hopefully it will get done,” he said.

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So'oto, Lattimore Battle Way Onto Field

2011-09-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

The position was new. The attitude, not so much.

Arms crossed, Vic So'oto stands at his locker. This 6-foot-3, 263-pound brick house of a man admits his temper is short. His patience runs low.

A tight end-turned-defensive end at Brigham Young, So'oto was converted to outside linebacker in the Green Bay Packers' 3-4 scheme. Management figured position coach Kevin Greene could never have too many fire-breathing pupils.

Yes, it's been a perfect fit.

"As a Polynesian, Samoan type of guy, cracking skulls comes naturally," So'oto said. "It's something you're born with."

One more game of "cracking skulls" is probably all So'oto needs to lock up a roster spot. Heading into Thursday's preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field, So'oto and fellow undrafted rookie Jamari Lattimore of Middle Tennessee State are positioned well. Both outside linebackers have grown up as quick as anyone on the team.

Good timing, too. Erik Walden ran away with the starting spot opposite Clay Matthews, but the backup slots at outside linebacker remain jumbled.

After suffering a broken shoulder blade, Frank Zombo's immediate future is uncertain. Brad Jones, expected to compete for a starting spot, hasn't stood out. And sixth-rounder Ricky Elmore never adapted.

Which leaves So'oto and Lattimore. They're cast in two completely different body types. So'oto is built like a security guard, Lattimore like he could double at safety. In a hurry, both matured from half-clueless rookies to contributors on the verge of cracking an NFL roster.

"I feel like everything is coming to a head," So'oto said. "This is the last game to prove myself. Hopefully I can do something that the coaches like and they'll want to keep me around."

Transitioning from a 4-3 end to a 3-4 outside linebacker runs deeper than X's and O's. Greene, a 15-year NFL veteran at the position, explains.

"It's always a vision thing," Greene said. "You go from having your hand in the dirt and looking straight ahead to standing up and actually having to acquire all of the eligibles and where they line up and what does that mean to you and your pass coverage."

So'oto relies on the darkness inside of him, his mean streak. Part of him wants to be a UFC fighter. He loves watching George St. Pierre and Rampage Jackson. His given name, Vitale Ta'aga Magauli So'oto, even has a cagefighting ring to it. So'oto knows his wife - the driving force behind him picking Green Bay over Arizona and Miami after the lockout - would not approve.

So football it is.

One ESPN article estimated that a Samoan boy is 40% more likely to reach the NFL than any other boy in America. So'oto has one theory. It's in his makeup to embrace contact, to be the aggressor.

The "warrior mentality" of the culture, So'oto says, dates back to when fossils from all over the world were found in Samoa.

"When you travel somewhere, and don't know someone else, you automatically fight," he said. "So it's fun to be from something like that . . . It's no-nonsense, short temper. You're happy-go-lucky until it's time to strap it up. That's just how I've always been."

Last weekend was So'oto's breakout performance. He has been assignment-sure in practice, rarely enveloped at the point of attack. Against the Colts, he beat starting right tackle Ryan Diem and forced a fumble that Green Bay recovered. Then, on a second-and-1 play in the fourth quarter, So'oto showed good instincts in immediately penetrating into the backfield to lasso running back Darren Evans.

"I'm a really laid-back guy until game time," So'oto said. "If I were to fight, it'd be totally different. It's football, just football."

Greene, by nature, is a fan.

"I hope I inspire all my kids to mix that (crap) up," Greene said. "We need to get up into peoples' grilles. Absolutely. Vic is passionate about the game. That's what I preach all the time. You have to love hitting people."

With Lattimore, textbook technique is imperative. The 2010 Sun Belt defensive player of the year relied on pure athleticism in college to total 68 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 11½ sacks and 10 quarterback hurries. In the pros, at 230 pounds, he's ultra light for the position.

As of now, Lattimore often takes on blockers 75 to 100 pounds heavier. Greene stresses, however, that Lattimore can overcome this discrepancy with the proper footwork and hand placement.

In his playing days, Greene's playing weight hovered in the 242-to-245-pound range. At one point, in a 4-3 scheme, he even dipped to 238 pounds. The plan with Lattimore is obviously to pack on weight. Today, 3-4 outside linebackers must play between 245 and 252 pounds, Greene said. The game has evolved.

It's difficult to pack on pounds during the 90-degree dog days of training camp. Soon, Lattimore will start a weight-gaining diet of some sort.

In the meantime, technique has helped him survive and thrive.

"Something I learned as a player was that no matter how big an opponent was, as long as I had good technique, I could defeat that opponent," Greene said. "Now (Lattimore) is playing a position that requires him to be a little heavier. He's light at 230, but with the right technique he can beat someone that's 330."

Added Lattimore, "With the right technique, you can do it all. Technique and fundamentals. Every day, nonstop."

And, Lattimore does have some experience at the position. As a kid, he always played as the Carolina Panthers on the video game, Madden. He'd toggle his controller to Kevin Greene and blitz off the edge. Little did Lattimore know that exact job would be his ticket to the NFL.

And Greene would be his coach.

"He knows what he's talking about and been in that position," Lattimore said. "I haven't told him I played as him. I don't want him to get big-headed."

Expect to see plenty of both rookies Thursday night. They've come a long ways. That first week of practice, Dom Capers' scheme was a maze of confusion. Offensive players motioned and Lattimore admits, on some plays, he had no idea what to do. Now Lattimore and So'oto are confident.

The preseason finale, they hope, serves as an exclamation point.

"Nothing's guaranteed," So'oto said. "I know that and everybody's been telling me that."

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Meet The Most Interesting Man In College Football

2011-08-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

Allow me to go back in time to last June. I sat in Columbus Crew Stadium watching the inagural USA College Sevens rugby tournament. The best rugby teams from around the country came together for this wide-open, entertaining competition that highlighted rugby sevens as a future Olympic sport. As I watched several games throughout the tournament, one man caught my eye from Utah. A mountain of a man of Samoan descent with long black hair in the red #2 jersey. He was simply bigger than everyone else on the field, and to my shock, faster too. And if that wasn't enough, he had the NCAA '10 highlight stick at his disposal like it was the simple flick of a thumb. Game after game, #2 from Utah ran in try after try as the Utes advanced through the tournament. He ran around tacklers, through tacklers, and past tacklers. As the tournament progressed, this mythical creature became the talk of Crew Stadium.

But #2 and his Utes met the toughest test imaginable in the final - the Cal Bears. All you need to know about college rugby is this... Cal. Wins. Everything. They have only 25 National Championships to their name and the consensus favored the Bears adding the presitgious sevens tourney to the trophy case. Except, this Herculean force of nature from Utah had other ideas. Utah stunned the Bears in a thrilling game 31-26 in overtime, largely thanks to two tries from #2, the hero of the tournament.

Utah's #2 was a 21 year old freshman, Thretton Palamo... the youngest player to ever take the field in the Rugby World Cup when he did so in 2007 for the USA national team in France. A former captain of the USA rugby sevens team. And as of this Fall, a running back for Kyle Whittingham's Utah football team. And quite possibly, the most interesting man in college football...

For the readers that may be familiar with rugby, watching Palamo anihilate the college sevens tournament last year must have been what it was like to watch Jonah Lomu at his peak. Even though there were dozens of games each day, I wanted to be in Crew Stadium when Utah was playing to watch Thretton Palamo. The level of competition was inconsequential at that point and time - what I saw that weekend (and what viewers saw nationally on NBC) was transcendent. Palamo is a world class rugby sevens player with athleticism to match. Here's a 6'2", 240 pound rock of granite that also had the ability to sidestep any defender, the pace to outrun the others, and the power to brush off anyone else that may have gotten in his way. Any time he touched the ball, the crowd on hand would slowly out of their seats like they would for Gale Sayers or Reggie Bush. Any time he touched the ball, you knew he was likely to score. It didn't just look like a man against boys, it was like watching Gravedigger do his (her?) thing. Just see for yourself...

And now Palamo takes those talents from the pitch to the gridiron. The trip from teenage international rugby player to Utah running back is in the words of Bill Walton, a long strange trip. Palamo was teammates on that '07 RWC team with Utah rugby head coach Blake Burdette, who also happened to be a member of the Utes' 2004 unbeaten Fiesta Bowl team. Utah was the perfect fit for Palamo's rugby skills, desire to play football, and committment to get an education. In fact, Palamo chose this path at Utah turning down opportunites to play professional rugby in Europe. To tell you the truth, I was stunned and excited when I read his name in the rotation at running back for the Utes this year because I saw his athletic genius with my own eyes. Sure, Youtube highlight videos are all the rage for college prospects, but nobody has quite the resume of Thretton Palamo to back it up.

Just how much of a factor can he be for the Utes though? It appears Palamo will start the season as a backup to JuCo transfer John White even though he led the Utes in rushing during their first Spring scrimmage. Palamo did play football in high school, but the learning curve is still steep. To his credit, Whittingham and the staff see a bright future for the rugby star, but his impact may not be felt immediately. Actually, Palamo may never make a significant impact in football, period. Transitions between sports are always difficult, no matter the athletic gifts one may possess. Reading blocks, running routes, and completing blocking assignments is way different than offloading in the tackle, rucking, and running through the gaps of a rugby defense. The level of athlete from college rugby to Pac 12 football is also a huge step up in class. No longer will Thretton Palamo be the most gifted athlete on the field by light years. To his credit though, the coaching staff and players see Palamo's potential...

“Thretton’s doing a good job,” (running backs coach Dave) Schramm said. “It just takes time. He’s got to learn how to play. And he is learning. He’s come a long way — light years since spring ball. But football isn’t rugby.”

“He’s one of those guys who has the inner desire to be great. He’ll get better with time, I think, and end up being a heck of a football player.”

“He’s still raw,” (QB Jordan) Wynn said. “But he’s so big and he’s super-athletic. He can run inside, obviously, but he’ll turn the corner on you, too.”

Everything coming out of Utah this preseason has Palamo dedicating himself to make the transition from international rugby star to college running back a success. If Palamo is able to grasp the position and fulfill his athletic potential, the possibilities are limitless. My only hope is that he gets a chance to prove what he can do as a runner on Saturdays because we've never had the chance to see an international caliber rugby player take on college football. If there is any way to translate the magic on the field at Columbus Crew Stadium last June to Rice-Eccles Stadium this Fall, Thretton Palamo may become a household name. And even if that doesn't happen, he's still the most interesting man in college football.

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Homecoming King

2011-08-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu spends a week renewing his fighting spirit in American Samoa this summer

Troy Polamalu's Return Home - ESPN cut from Loose Luggage on Vimeo.

COULD YOU BE LOVED
The alofa (love) for Troy Polamalu is evident as soon as he arrives at Pago Pago International Airport. Polamalu, 30, was born to Samoan parents in Garden Grove, Calif., and grew up in Tenmile, Ore. He says the entirety of his only other trip to Samoa, taken a decade ago when he was a relatively unknown USC safety, was less eventful than the initial moments of this visit. "It reminds me of that documentary When We Were Kings," he says. "Everywhere Ali jogged, there were a hundred people jogging behind him. That's what I felt."

Chris Baldwin for ESPN The MagazineHigh school football players attend a three-day camp with Polamalu.

HONOR CALL
Polamalu, with wife Theodora (bottom), is seated and honored as a visiting matai (chief) at his first 'ava ceremony, a welcoming gathering. Because he didn't grow up here, Polamalu leans on former Steelers teammate Shaun Nua (behind Polamalu in yellow) for guidance throughout the trip. Nua, a BYU graduate assistant, is from the same village (Ta'u) as Polamalu's family. Says Theodora, "Troy is trying to learn all the true Samoan ways."

Chris Baldwin for ESPN The MagazineAfter hours of practice, Polamalu's trainees still have energy to spare.

HEIRS APPARENT
Wearing equipment donated last year by Polamalu, 660 football players from seven high schools show up at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Pago Pago for his three-day camp. "Our football here is very raw," Polamalu says. "It's big hits and very physical."

Chris Baldwin for ESPN The MagazinePolamalu says he feels most connected to the islands during two fishing trips.

TRUE PASSION
After seven hours of drills in the code-red heat, the players perform Samoan Haka war dances before a mesmerized Polamalu.

Chris Baldwin for ESPN The MagazineHis two kids help keep Polamalu grounded during the whirlwind trip.

DEEP DIVE
During the week, Polamalu husks coconuts, weaves baskets with palm leaves, swigs kava (a root drink) and eats a freshly killed pig that's been roasted in an umu (earth oven) -- all Samoan traditions. But he feels most connected to the island on two fishing trips and swimming around with pals. "The ocean has so much energy," Polamalu says.

Chris Baldwin for ESPN The MagazinePolamalu takes a final "Samoan limo" ride before departing.

EGO TRIP
Polamalu admits that all the attention during the trip freaks him out a bit. "A few women even tried to make out with me," he says, laughing. "If you fight it, it will be like a confrontation, so you kind of give in -- to a point." To keep himself centered, he spends time with sons Paisios (left), 2, and Ephraim, 11 months. "You have to tell yourself, I'm no better than anyone else," he says. "That's a real spiritual battle. If I would have done this trip even two years ago, I wouldn't have been ready for it."

NO MAN IS AN ISLAND
After a beach feast, Polamalu and crew take a final "Samoan limo" ride before returning to the airport. "Every day I've had to fight back tears," Polamalu says. "I feel joy." It's a feeling that he's eager to bring to the Steelers' locker room. "I've never felt comfortable helping guys on my team," he says. "I was really introverted, and that was all ego, because everything was about me doing what I needed to do to be successful. But I'm becoming a little bit more extroverted now, because I'm starting to take a step back. Now it's time for me to share."

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Former QB Pritchard Absorbing, Spreading Knowledge as Stanford Assistant Coach

2011-08-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

Former Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard (2006-09) has lots of stories he can tell the younger players on Stanford's football team.

Pick a story, any story.

How about the one where the Cardinal went 1-11 in 2006, achieving the worst record in school history?

That's more of a nightmare, but Pritchard would prefer to talk fairytales.

How about the time he engineered "The Greatest Upset Ever" on Oct. 6, 2007?

The Cardinal trekked to USC as a 41-point underdog, then proceeded to pull off a miraculous 24-23 victory. Pritchard was making his first collegiate start in place of starter T.C. Ostrander, who had suffered a seizure at a restaurant earlier in the week. Pritchard connected with Richard Sherman on a must-have fourth-and-20 play on a final desperation drive. With less than a minute to play, Pritchard hit Mark Bradford for a touchdown to tie the score. Derek Belch's extra point was the game-winner. Pritchard, who threw for 2,865 yards and 15 touchdowns at Stanford, is now a defensive staff assistant after serving as a volunteer coach last season.

"Still being around the Stanford community, a lot of people bring that USC game up," Pritchard said. "It's a good memory. It's one of the signature wins that people look back to. It's fun to think back on the players and the teams we forged. We think of that rebuilding stage, in general."

***

Pritchard seemed destined to be a coach. His father, David, was an offensive coordinator at Clover High in Washington, where Pritchard starred under dad's tutelage. Tavita Pritchard was a 7-year-old ball boy when David was offensive coordinator at nearby Centralia High. Tavita chose quarterback because his uncle, Jack Thompson -- known as "The Throwin' Samoan" -- was an All-American quarterback at Washington State.

"I learned tons of football from my dad," Tavita said. "My passion for football comes from my dad. I can remember the days when I was a little guy running around with my jersey hanging down to my knees when I was a ball boy. That's where I gained my passion and it blossomed from there."

While coaching is, obviously, in Pritchard's blood, he's coaching for other reasons.

"It's everything I loved about being a player," Pritchard said. "It's the camaraderie, it's the unity, the one mind trying to accomplish a single goal. I love the strategy behind it. I'm like a little kid up in the office just listening to the coaches talk. I love hearing about football and how all the philosophies come together."

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Bengals Linebacker Rey Maualuga Adjusting To Transition

2011-08-30T03:25:00.000-07:00

Rey Maualuga leads the team with eight solo tackles and that's adding into the idea that the team's starting middle linebacker hasn't even played more than a handful of snaps during maybe five quarters of three preseason games. Would it be that big of a stretch to call Maualuga the Cincinnati Bengals top defensive player?

Maualuga played two seasons as the team's starting strong-side linebacker since joining the Bengals during the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. This year with Dhani Jones not returning, Maualuga is finally making the transition into his more natural middle linebacker spot. Even so, he's still adjusting, thinking too much about the play before letting his natural instincts take over.

"It comes and goes," he said. "I think in due time everything will unveil itself and I'm just going to go out there and play ball instead of thinking too much."

Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer agrees:

"He's adjusting to making the calls," Zimmer said. "I think he's been playing the run good and actually has been OK on the pass."

Maualuga's transition comes at a good time, considering that the Bengals are largely a team rebuilding with a new offensive philosophy with new skill players. By this time next year, with the offense having a year under their belts, so will Maualuga as the defensive leader and middle linebacker.

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Polynesian Players Flocking Back to Utah State

2011-08-30T02:08:00.000-07:00

Al Lapuaho always wanted to play in the Pac-12.

Whether it was at Granger High or at Snow College, it was all he dreamed about. So when Washington State offered the defensive tackle a scholarship, he pounced on it like it was a running back.

Only it didn’t work out. The campus was cool. The competition was top-notch. The coaching staff and the players were accommodating and friendly. But the sense of family wasn’t there when Lapuaho visited. He went back to Snow, hesitant about Washington State. He de-committed. Then he called coach Gary Andersen and pledged to USU.

“I wasn’t happy,” Lapuaho said. “The Polynesian culture means a lot to me. And that’s what eventually swayed me to Utah State.”

Yes, the Polynesian culture, which puts a premium on loyalty and a sense of family. When Andersen took over the head coaching job at Utah State three years ago, he promised to remake a roster that was devoid not only of Polynesians, but of homegrown recruits in general.

Three years later, the Aggies boast 22 players of Polynesian descent on their roster. A bunch of them are in-state recruits. And a good number of them are poised to make an impact.

Philip Gapelu, D.J. Tialavea and Kyle Whimpey will all play a lot offensively. Lapuaho and Bojay Filimoeatu are starters on the defensive line. Evan Huahulu, a transfer from SMU, will play a lot as a nose tackle. Nate Needham has carved out a role as a long snapper.

For Andersen, there may not be a better sight. He considers USU’s Polynesian players one of the foundations of his program. He has worked diligently to improve their numbers, and now he stands to reap the benefits.

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NFL Scouts Clamor For Stephen Paea's Pro Day @ Oregon State

2011-03-31T23:32:00.000-07:00

Oregon State's Stephen Paea worked out at a pro day today before representatives of most NFL teams.

He measured 6'1" and weighed 299, working out weeks after having surgery to repair the lateral meniscus in his right knee.

He said today's drills were the first he's done at full-speed since the procedure.

He ran a 5.15 40-yard dash and said his knee was 85-90 percent healed.

He did not do the bench press again - he already set the NFL Combine record for that in February when he pumped out 49 repetitions at 225 pounds.

The native Tongan is projected as one of the top defensive tackles in April's NFL draft.

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PFP NFL Highlights 2010

2010-12-27T00:18:00.000-08:00

This montage encompasses many great highlights of various Polynesian Football Players in the NFL this 2010 Football season. Hope you enjoy! Keep Reppin'!

Rancho Verde's Junior Pomee Plays With A Purpose

2010-12-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

Junior Pomee appears to have a rather promising future ahead of him on the football field. Keep in mind, the 6-foot-3, 225-plus pound senior from Moreno Valley Rancho Verde High is one of the country’s top tight end prospects with a scholarship offer on the table from several NCAA powerhouse programs.

Pomee, however, is a bit reluctant to move forward. He has some unfinished business to take care of, namely honoring a fallen teammate, Emil Smith, who was killed in an automobile accident months before the 2010 season.

Before life continues for Pomee, it’s his desire to commemorate the life that was lost the best way he knows how: with a Southern Section Central Division championship. Accordingly, he played a prominent role in Friday night’s 42-21 semifinal victory over host La Quinta to move the Mustangs a step closer to winning a title in Smith’s memory.

“We dedicated the season to Emil, and we know he’s upstairs, watching down on us. We’re not going to let him down,’’ Pomee said. “Before our games, we carry out a banner with his picture on it and then hit the field. It’s like Emil is still with us, in some ways. His spirit motivates us. His spirit gives us energy and emotion. His spirit gets us hyped to play."

Similar to Pomee, Smith appeared to have just about everything going for him. The senior linebacker had committed to Boise State in June. On July 18, he was sitting in the passenger seat, alongside his older brother and driver, Dimitri Garcia, when they crashed into oncoming traffic in nearby Hemet.

Just like that, Smith was gone. And just like that, Pomee was devastated. His teammates, too. Seemingly everyone on campus was distraught.

“Emil meant a lot to everyone,” Mustangs coach Pete Duffy said. “He was the poster child for Rancho Verde football. He exemplified our program. He was a coaches’ dream. Rain, sleet or snow, he always gave 110 percent. Go out and play like Emil always did, I think our players know that’s the way things are supposed to be done around here.

“When Emil passed away, Junior was one of the kids that took it the hardest. He’s one of those guys who wears his emotions on his sleeve. He’s a lightning rod. You know when he’s mad ... and you know when he’s happy. There’s no in between with Junior, that’s just the way he plays the game and lives his life. Give him credit, through it all, he’s stepped up and emerged as a team leader in Emil’s absence. I can’t explain how important that’s been.’’

A day does not pass without Pomee thinking about his former teammate. In fact, he ends each one of his text messages with: RIP E. Smith. “He’s always on my mind,’’ Pomee said. “It doesn’t matter if I’m on the field or off the field, I try to keep Emil’s memory going strong.’’

Pomee has been largely, though not solely responsible for the emergence of Rancho Verde this season. The Mustangs, after all, are one of the Southland’s few teams left that can actually boast about having an unblemished record (13-0).

As with most programs hoping to finish undefeated, there were several close calls along the way. But each time Rancho Verde faced adversity, its leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns managed to find a way to win.

For example, in the regular-season finale against Riverside Arlington in mid-November, Pomee delivered the play of the game in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. He alertly scooped an attempted onside kick by the Lions' special teams unit and returned the ball 52 yards for a touchdown to not only secure a 28-16 victory, but also help Rancho Verde clinch its fifth consecutive Inland Valley League championship and the all-important top seeding for postseason play.

Surprisingly, the Mustangs haven’t faced many challenges in the playoffs thus far. In the first round, Pomee caught 80 and 60 yard touchdown passes from Travis Champion in a 70-3 victory over Pomona Garey. It was more of the same in the quarterfinals; Pomee was one of six players to score in a 49-3 victory over San Bernardino San Gorgonio.

“Junior is a playmaker, and it doesn’t matter if he’s double- or tripled-teamed, if I throw it up to him, chances are he’s going to come down with the ball,’’ Champion said. “Quarterbacks always talk about having a go-to guy, that’s Junior for me. We have a connection. We’re on the same page. He’s a blessing and makes my job a whole lot easier, it’s plain and simple.’’

The fact Pomee has excelled shouldn’t come as a major surprise considering he moved up to play varsity ball for the Mustangs at the end of his freshman season. He has been a starter ever since. And college recruiters have kept a close eye on his progress.

Pomee runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.6-second range. No slouch in the weight room either, he bench presses 315 pounds and squats and power cleans 445 and 280 pounds, respectively. It’s also worth mentioning he possesses a 39-inch vertical jump.

At one point, Pomee had committed to play for Rick Neuheisel at UCLA. Word traveled fast, and once schools such as Florida and USC heard about his measurables and started expressing varied levels of interest, he decided to keep his options open.

Tight ends are seemingly a hot commodity these days and ESPNU ranks Pomee as the country’s No.13 player at his position.

“Junior is a great blocker, for one,” Duffy said. “He opens up wholes for our backs up the middle, or we can get out on the edge and run behind him because he makes things happen downfield. He’s not afraid to body people up. Contact doesn’t bother him.

“In the passing game, Junior is a hybrid receiver-tight end. He runs great controlled routes underneath and makes the tough catch in traffic. When we need to stretch the defense, we’ll throw him the ball vertically because he has a knack for getting open deep.

“Junior has a lot of upside. He’s a great weapon to have around. Size, speed and strength, he’s the total package. He’s going to make some coach at the next level very happy once he makes his choice about where he wants to spend the next four years of his life.’’

A decision about college, however, will have to wait.

The only thing Pomee & Co. are focused on is winning a title for Emil Smith. And the Mustangs will have the opportunity to accomplish their goal in next Friday's title game.

“We’ve come too far to turn back now,’’ Pomee said. “It’s going to be important for all of us to keep our composure in the title game because emotions will be running high. We’re going to come out with a mentality, an intensity, like no one has ever seen before.

“We know what’s at stake. We’ve been hoping that this time would come for us. Our mind-set is to go out and win every battle; Emil would’ve wanted things that way. We’re going to play our hearts out, believe that. This is our chance to win it all for our brother.’’

Whether that happens remains to be seen.

One thing is certain: Emil Smith’s memory lives on.

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Joe Salave’a Interviews For Assistant Coaching Position With Stoops

2010-12-14T02:06:00.000-08:00

Former Arizona and NFL defensive tackle Joe Salave’a, who has strong ties to the Polynesian football community, is in the running to fill one of the vacancies on Mike Stoops’ coaching staff.

Salave’a was back on campus this weekend on an interview.

The Wildcats lost their main connection to Polynesian recruits when defensive tackles coach Mike Tuiasosopo left last week to take a position at Colorado.

(Related from TucsonCitizen.com: Ricky Hunley: ‘I would absolutely love’ to join Stoops’ coaching staff)

The Samoan-born Salave’a, who has two years of college coaching experience at San Jose State under Dick Tomey, is popular and well-known on the islands. He founded the Joe Salave’a Foundation in 2001, which, according to his former San Jose State bio, “specializes in free football clinics for youngsters in American Samoa and Hawaii.”

“Coach Tui did a heck of a job re-establishing that pipeline that was lost there for a while,” Salave’a told TucsonCitizen.com on Saturday night. “Knowing the culture, that’s very important. …

“That is one of the components of the program that needs to be continued and needs to be nourished.”

Salave’a, 35, had a nine-year NFL career after being picked in the fourth round of the 1998 draft by Tennessee. He joined Tomey, his former coach at Arizona, at San Jose State in 2008.

“In the course of my NFL career, I was doing my own camps through my foundation,” Salave’a said. “It was an easy transition as far as working with young people, but I wasn’t really sure that coaching was where I was going until Coach Tomey gave me the opportunity to go up there.

“I fell in love with the kids, and, of course, with Coach Tomey, you’re coming full circle and have a chance to pay it forward. It was great. … The experience of being mentored under him for two years was awesome. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Salave’a was out of coaching this season. Sort of. He spent a month in training camp with Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and his staff as part of the NFL’s Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship.

Back in his home base of Las Vegas, Salave’a volunteered when he could with the football team at Liberty High School.

“I have two little ones and they started school this past fall, so daddy wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere in the country to find work,” Salave’a said.

“It was important that I stuck around and saw my kids go to school and go to teacher-parent conferences and all that stuff. I kind of helped out at a local high school, and when you do that, you kind of get revitalized.

“Now is a good time to get going as far as coaching is concern.”

Salave’a said that Stoops has not given him any timetable for the hiring decision. Stoops has two vacancies on his defensive staff; co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Greg Brown also left for Colorado.

Stoops told reporters on Friday he would be conducting interviews this weekend and next.

Salave’a said he has heard recently about job possibilities from a couple of other Pac-10 schools, but “you never want to go against your school.”

“When this thing came around,” he added, “it was like all that had never happened. I am always going to be looking for that opportunity to get back to this institution and this community that gave so much to me.

“I have a lot invested here. When you walk the halls, you see pictures of Tedy Bruschiand some of the game photos on the walls, and you’re right there as if it’s yesterday.”

As a player at Arizona, Salave’a was known for his determination and toughness, earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors in 1996 and first-team honors in 1997. He originally had only three years of eligibility at Arizona because he was initially academically ineligible under NCAA Proposition 48.

But the NCAA later passed a ruling that allowed such student-athletes to regain that year of eligibility if they graduated in four years. Salave’a did and returned in 1997.

“To me, this is a personal thing,” he said of this job opportunity.

“Here is a program that gave me more than I gave it back. I’m more motivated in that regard to really contribute to the success of the program that Coach Stoops and the guys have established.”

Salave’a was scheduled to return to Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon, and then he’ll wait to hear from Stoops.

“I’m happy they even thought highly enough of me to bring me in and visit with me,” Salave’a said.

Full Article

Niners Score Win For Christmas

2010-12-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

Mike Iupati is used to knocking guys around for a living. The rookie left guard for the San Francisco 49ers is known for delivering crushing downfield blocks in the running game and keeping nasty-intended defenders away from his quarterback.

He took a break from gridiron action yesterday, however, to deliver a little holiday cheer to local children as they went Christmas shopping for their families.

Although Iupati, No. 77, doesn’t have any children of his own, yesterday he had three young boys look up to him for more than just being tall.

“He’s the best guy,” said Fabian Perdomo, 9, as he gave Iupati a big hug.

The 49ers have teamed up with Samaritan House and Visa to take children shopping during the holidays for four years now. The children participating in the annual event come from Samaritan House clients who are currently struggling to get by in the poor economy.

“Community service is extremely important to the 49ers throughout the year but during the holidays, it is particularly important for us to support those in need,” said Joanne Pasternack, the 49ers Foundation director.

Pasternack, a San Mateo resident, volunteered for Samaritan House when she was younger and linked the 49ers up with the nonprofit to help give back to the community.

Yesterday, 49ers players Josh Morgan, Nate Davis, Reggie Smith, Moran Norris, Nate Clements, Chris Maragos, Chilo Rachal and Manny Lawson joined Iupati in taking 36 children holiday shopping.

“The kids aren’t shopping for themselves,” Pastnernack said. “They get to spend the day with the players and then give the presents they buy to their families.”

Visa donated $250 gift cards to each child.

Iupati helped Perdomo, Jose Rouque and Andrew Vaihol with their shopping duties, although it was not always easy considering all the toys and other items from which to choose.

The boys discussed the merits of toys and games and how to play them with Iupati as they cruised Target.

They checked out boxing gloves and tennis racquets before ending up in the video game aisle.

Toys were not the only items being bought, though. The children were also buying clothes, baby items and even a blender.

But the 49ers do play football and wide receiver Josh Morgan could not avoid fielding questions about the team’s upcoming game with the Seattle Seahawks. Iupati also took time to sign some autographs for fans in between his time with the kids.

Iupati, 23, does not have his own children but does have two nephews and a niece he was inspired to shop for as he hung out with Perdomo, Rouque and Vaihol.

“I wish I had kids,” Iupati said with a smile.

Samaritan House is a nonprofit agency that provides food, shelter and job resources for those in need. It relies on donations from the public to implement its various programs. For more information visit www.samaritanhouse.com.

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Steady Jede A Quiet Leader For Bruins

2010-11-17T23:42:00.000-08:00

When you ask Jede Fue how his season has gone, the softspoken senior linebacker for Wilson smiles and says, “Pretty good. I’ve got to try harder.” He speaks so quietly you have to lean in to hear him, which is surprising—if any Long Beach linebacker is entitled to a chest-thump or two, it’s Fue.

At the end of the regular season, the captain had recorded 118 total tackles—only 33 more than the second-closest defender in the Moore League. He’s a tireless player who’s been praised by coaches across the city for his effort and activity on the field.

“He’s a joy,” says Wilson defensive coordinator Scott Meyer. “He’s a great kid and a hard worker…he’s our starting middle linebacker and he’s on the practice team getting every rep in against our first-team offense. You won’t see that very often.”

Nor will you see Fue raise his voice to the volume it reaches on the football field. He admits he tries to be a vocal leader, contrary to his nature away from the game. It’s an instinct that comes to him through his bloodline.

His father, Keli Pula, is an assistant coach for the Poly girls’ varsity volleyball team, and his mother and sister both played the sport (his older sister Deveney is currently playing for Cornell). Bruins coach Mario Morales says that growing up around coaches and athletes has been an asset. “Well it’s made him very coachable,” he says, “which obviously is great for us.”

Between the statistics and his football acumen (he calls the checks for Wilson’s defense), it would probably be a safe assumption that Fue will be spending the next few months wading through scholarship offers, trying to find the exact best situation for him. But shockingly, Morales says he has yet to receive a single offer.

“Well the way it is now, everyone recruits off of the junior season, and last year he was good, but not great. This year he’s been so steady for us.”

Fue’s father has credited his work ethic in the offseason with the improvement, as he worked fastidiously to put on the weight needed to bang inside against the Moore League’s bruising rushing attacks. That effort was most obvious in Wilson’s biggest losses of the season, to Poly and Lakewood. Despite being the focus of a lot of blocking schemes, Fue still led his team with 12 and 13 tackles in those games.

“He’s very active,” said Lakewood coach Thadd MacNeal before their game against Wilson, identifying Fue as his biggest concern on the defense.

Every year you find a player or two on each team that’s loved by his coaching staff, but overlooked by coaches at the higher level—and every now and then, a solid offer comes through and turns the situation around. It’s obvious talking to Morales and Meyer that they’re hoping something good comes for Fue.

“We’d like that to happen,” says Morales. “He just loves football, and he wants to continue playing—I don’t think it matters to him if it’s D1 or NAIA. Wherever he ends up, he’ll be an asset.”

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Manti Te'o Is Becoming the Face of the Irish

2010-11-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

Over the years, when someone mentioned the face of Notre Dame football, offensive players usually came to mind.

In the late 80's into the 90's, names like Tony Rice, Rocket Ismail and Ricky Watters, more recently Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate.

As the 2010 season is winding down, the new face of the Irish appears to be sophomore inside linebacker Manti Te'o.

The 6'2, 245-pound former USA Today Prep Defensive Player of The Year has been the one constant over the past two seasons. Te'o is the first Defensive Player of The Year to sign with Notre Dame since Kory Minor in 1995, and has lived up to his top billing from Day 1.

Te'o started 10 games as a freshman and finished with 63 tackles, third most ever by a Notre Dame freshman, he was named a Freshman All-American by College Football News.

Although there were some concerns even during the recruiting process that Te'o would leave school after his freshman year to pursue a two-year Mormon mission, he announced that he would complete his education and deal with his religious obligations later in life.

Although Te'o was still learning a new defensive coming into the 2010 season, his natural ability carried him to the rapidly improved workhorse that we see today.

It had been duly noted that Te'o was basically playing on instinct as a freshman and with more knowledge of the defense, he could become the force that we see today.

Those predictions were correct. Te'o has 100 total tackles after 10 games this season, including a season-high 21 vs. Stanford.

With Te'o as the face of the organization, the shift to a defensive-minded team will help in the recruiting of better players on the defensive side of the ball.

Getting to line up with Te'o, Carlo Calabrese, and Prince Shembo has to sound extremely inviting to commitments such as Stephon Tuitt (6'5 260-pound defensive end), Tony Springmann (6'6, 257-pound defensive end) and four-star defensive back Eilar Hardy (6'1, 175 pounds).

Coaches Kelly and Molnar will see to it that the offense is that explosive point-scoring machine that we were looking forward to.

In a short time, the offense will take care of itself, but the long-lasting effects of Manti Te'o will live on long after he is playing on Sundays.

The scary thing is is Te'o is still a sophomore, and he is still learning. His second and third effort to finish a play is starting to become "buzz worthy." The sky is the limit for Te'o during the second half of his collegiate career.

Te'o, who hails from Laie, Hawaii, surprised many people when he chose Notre Dame over warm weather schools USC and UCLA, but his style of play has come as no surprise.

This highly decorated linebacker is exactly the type of player that the Irish need to base their future on.

Full Article

Stephen Paea Is Bednarik Semifinalist

2010-11-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea hasn't put up big numbers this year, but his unsung efforts against constant double-teams are still earning him recognition.

Paea has been named one of 16 semifinalists for the 16th annual Bednarik Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive player by the Maxwell Football Club. He is the only player from the Pac-10 on the list.

Paea was the 2009 co-recipient of the Pac-10 Conference’s Morris Trophy for the league’s top defensive lineman. The native of Tonga was a 2009 All-Pac-10 First Team selection and earned honorable mention in 2008. He currently has career totals of 105 total tackles, 25 tackles-for-loss and 12 quarterback sacks.

You can see the entire list of semifinalists here.

The winners of the 74th Maxwell Award and the 16th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 9. Three finalists for each award will be announced on Nov. 22, and a second round of voting will take place at that time.

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Nebraska Beats Missouri 31-17 Behind Roy Helu’s Record Day

2010-10-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Things looked pretty scary there for a second when the Cornhuskers' lead was cut to ten, but Roy Helu Jr. has come to the rescue once again.

Missouri took their second possession of the half all the way to the house to temporarily cut Nebraska's lead to 24-10. For the record, the drive ended with a 23-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert to T.J. Moe (great name), Gabbert's first of the day.

With Taylor Martinez out, the Cornhuskers went to Roy Helu Jr. on the next drive. Needless to say, he delivered.

Already with touchdown runs of 66 and 73 yards, Helu Jr. it the hole and went 53 yards for yet another touchdown. That gives him a career-high 228 yards on 10 carries (that's a 22.8 yard average, folks), the majority of which has come on those three runs. He ended up finishing the day with 307 yards rushing against the #6 ranked Missouri team.

Missouri came into the game allowing only 114.6 yards on the ground every game, and shut down DeMarco Murray last week. So much for that.

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PFP College Football Highlights 2010

2010-10-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some highlights of some of the many Polynesian College Football players doing it big this 2010 football season! Enjoy!

Idaho Linebacker JoJo Dickson’s College Career Is Over

2010-10-28T01:12:00.000-07:00

Idaho linebacker JoJo Dickson underwent successful surgery Saturday, just hours after he broke his leg during the second half of the Vandals’ homecoming win over New Mexico State.

Dickson suffered a dislocated ankle and a broken leg after he was hit from behind by New Mexico State running back Kenny Turner, who was flagged for a personal foul on the play.

“You hate to see anybody get hurt, but I don’t think it was a vicious deal,” said Akey, who received an on-the-field apology from Turner after the game.

Akey said the injury looked worse than it actually was.

“I thought both bones were broken because everything was turned in the other direction,” Akey said. “The ankle was dislocated, which was why things were pointing the wrong way. The doctor was able to fix that right out on the field.”

Akey went to the Gritman Medical Center in Moscow and helped wheel Dickson into the operating room.

The senior was out of surgery by 8:30 p.m. that night, and was discharged Monday morning.

“I went and saw him (Monday morning) and the surgery went great,” Akey said.

The injury ends Dickson’s college career, but Akey is hoping the captain can make the trip to Hawaii this week. Dickson is one of four Idaho players from Hawaii.

The Vandals leave for Honolulu on Friday.

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Bingham RB Langi To Play In Army All-American Bowl

2010-10-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

Bingham High School running back Harvey Langi was selected to play in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, which features the nation's top 90 high school football players.

"Harvey is a talented athlete whose exemplary leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Bingham High School," said Col. Derik Crotts, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach, U.S. Army Accessions Command. "The strength, dedication, leadership and teamwork skills necessary to succeed on the football field are the same qualities mirrored in Army Strong Soldiers. We are proud to honor all of our U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and congratulate them on their selection."

Langi was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of All American Games' network of regional directors, Rivals.com and Tom Lemming. U.S. Army All-American players are eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year Award, the Pete Dawkins Game MVP Award, and the Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard U.S. Army Awards.

As a result of Harvey Langi being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach David Peck is invited to travel to San Antonio and attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience featuring NFL and NCAA coaches, as well as participate in game-week activities.

The game will be played on Saturday, January 8, 2011, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The annual East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 11:00 a.m.

The game also crowns the U.S. Army Player of the Year during Bowl Week in San Antonio.

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'The Samoan Bulldozer' Garnering National Attention

2010-10-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Greer (SC) Greer inside linebacker Adam Ah Ching is earning a lot of attention on the recruiting trail, and with a nickname like "The Samoan Bulldozer", it would seem hard not to. The 6-1, 210-pound Ah Ching has picked up early offers from BYU, Colorado and Oregon State while schools like Notre Dame, Alabama, Cal, Clemson, LSU, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, South Florida, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah and Washington are showing serious interest.

One of the main things Ah Ching is letting college coaches know is his intent to serve his Mormon mission and how important that is to him, so that could play a factor in his recruitment.

"Any school that will let me serve my church mission, it's always been my dream to serve my mission," Ah Ching said. "It's always been my goal to let the coaches know that if they let me serve my mission I'll be interested in them.

"Some schools shy away from that because you leave for two years and some kids are out of shape. BYU is really not a favorite right now, it's just a matter of whatever school makes me a better person and is a great atmosphere for me."

Ah Ching, who has about 62 tackles (15 for loss) two sacks and a forced fumble this season, said that BYU "has always been like my dream school," and he camped with the Cougars this summer where he earned the defensive MVP award.

But he's keeping all of his options open and there are plenty of schools coming after the standout junior linebacker.

"LSU, Stanford, Notre Dame," said Ah Ching, who visited Clemson for a recent game. "I could go down the list."

Ah Ching also went to Oregon's camp this past summer and then made the short trip to Corvallis to check out Oregon State.

He already has the three early offers and also lists interest from Alabama, Cal, Penn State, South Carolina, South Florida, UCLA, USC, Utah and Washington. Many other schools should get involved as well.

"I'm having a great season," Ah Ching said. "Hopefully I get more offers and schools looking out for me after I send my highlight tape out."

Full Article

Ohio's Boo Jackson Named MAC Player of the Week

2010-10-25T22:22:00.000-07:00

Ohio senior quarterback Boo Jackson (Gardena, Ca.) was selected as Rivals.com's Mid-American Conference Player of the Week Monday on the heels of his performance in Ohio's 34-13 win at Miami.

Jackson completed 10 of 19 passes for 149 yards and an interception, while rushing for 31 yards and two touchdowns in the key MAC East game.

Jackson, already the program's all-time leader in completion percentage (.603), pass efficiency (134.9), total offense per play (6.17) and passing yards per attempt (7.5), now has 29 career touchdown passes, just one shy of breaking Cleve Bryant's (1967-69) record. He also stands fourth in passing yards (3,611), sixth in touchdown responsibility (36), seventh with 290 completions and eighth with 481 pass attempts.

Ohio will face Louisiana Saturday at Peden Stadium at 2 p.m. ET.

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Valiant Masoli: 425 Yards, 3 Touchdowns, 1 Defeat

2010-10-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, Ole Miss quarterback Jeremiah Masoli watched as his former team, the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks, smoked UCLA 60-13 to move to 7-0.

Masoli watched a talented, veteran team, filled with his friends and filled with speedy playmakers, make play after dazzling play.

Here Saturday afternoon, Masoli endured a physical beating, two long lightning delays and a 38-24 defeat to Arkansas. Playing on a team that dropped to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SEC, Masoli operated behind a leaky, inexperienced line, often threw to freshman and sophomore receivers or handed off to young running backs. Yes, and Masoli probably played as well as he ever played in leading Oregon to the Rose Bowl and certainly as well as any Ole Miss quarterback has played since Eli Manning played out his eligibility.

Masoli ran for 98 yards on 15 carries. He completed 21 of 36 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns. His 425 yards of total offense was the second highest single-game total in Ole Miss history behind only Archie Manning's magnificent 540-yard effort against Alabama 41 years ago.

Archie Manning lost that game, too, but everyone who saw it remembers his superb effort. Masoli lost this game, but we should all remember his heroic play. Even his gaudy numbers don't tell the entire story, because he often scrambled away from the fierce Razorbacks pass rush and threw while on the run. And when there was no running room, Masoli would just lower his head and push Arkansas tacklers backward.

Coming off two straight nine-victory, Cotton Bowl seasons, Ole Miss is off to a 3-4 start and Rebels fans are understandably disappointed. But any who still blame Masoli - or Houston Nutt for giving Masoli a second chance - just aren't paying attention. Presently, Jeremiah Masoli is an outstanding, experienced player on a mediocre, inexperienced team. Said Nutt, succinctly, "Jeremiah gives us a chance."Saturday afternoon, after all the weather delays and all the heckling from Arkansas fans, only one question left Nutt momentarily speechless: Where would you be without Masoli?

Nutt paused, whistled softly and shook his head. "Don't ask me that," he finally said.

Paying the price

We all know Masoli has made mistakes in his past. He is paying for those now. He should be the quarterback of those high-flying Ducks. He should be a Heisman Trophy candidate. It's his fault he is not. But say this for the guy: He is making the best he can of the situation. And he is making Ole Miss a competitive team, one that trailed 21-0 early, but fired back behind Masoli's remarkable play.

Through seven games, five starts, Masoli has thrown for 1,258 yards and run for 400 more. He has thrown 10 touchdowns, run for three. More than that, Nutt says, "He has been a great teammate and he has gone about everything the right way. Sometimes I want to pull him aside and ask him, 'Are you the same guy who got in trouble out there?' He's a winner. We couldn't ask any more of him."

Both Nutt and co-offensive coordinator Mike Markuson talked about how Masoli has become a team leader, trying to encourage his younger teammates. Said Markuson, "He's been there. He's won big games. He knows what it takes and he's trying to show the rest of them."

And what does he tell them?

"Just keep fighting," Masoli said. "That's all you can really tell them. There's only one way to get better and that's keep fighting. I thought we did keep fighting today, but to lose when you have so many opportunities, it's just frustrating."

He plays behind a line that included two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior. He throws to mostly freshmen and sophomores.

"We don't have a lot of experience," he said. "That's not an excuse."

It's just a fact. So is this: Oregon starts mostly seniors.

"They look really, really good," Masoli said of his former team. "They are really clicking on offense. I wish them well. I hope they go all the way."

Meanwhile, Masoli intends to continue to make good on his second chance."Every new SEC stadium I play in, I soak it in," Masoli said. "I feel blessed."

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Antolin Runs Over Washington

2010-10-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

The ebb and flow of the game drained dry when Keola Antolin broke the longest play from scrimmage for Arizona in the second quarter during the Wildcats’ 44-14 romp over Washington.

Not only did Antolin twist and sidestep his way past Washington sophomore safety Justin Glenn on the 78-yard touchdown sprint in the second quarter, he effectively ran over the Huskies’ psyche. Only 18 seconds before Antolin’s run, Washington had cut the lead to 17-14 with 7:55 left in the second quarter on a Chris Polk 7-yard touchdown run.

Another Pac-10 classic at Arizona Stadium was in the making. The Huskies drove 55 yards on seven plays and appeared to be ready to match the UA drive-for-drive. That’s when Antolin went into overdrive on the very next offensive play from scrimmage after Polk’s touchdown.

“That was a long run, man,” Antolin said incredulously. “I felt like I ran 300 yards.”

“We challenged the offensive line to be more a physical unit, and to protect the quarterback better,” said UA coach Mike Stoops, whose team had more rushing yards a game (120.7) than only Washington State (80.1) in the Pac-10 entering the game.

“We were hard on those guys this week and they responded in a positive way.”

It helps to be blocking for a quick and physical runner like Antolin, who at 5-foot-8 and 186 pounds is hard to see charging into the line and tough to tackle once a defensive player is able to get a hand on him. Including Saturday night’s performance, in the last three games, Antolin has rushed for 281 yards on 43 carries (6.5 yards per attempt).

When asked if this is the best he’s played in his career, Antolin thought for a second and said, “Yes it is.” He also tried to deflect credit for his long touchdown run, giving props to a clear-out block from Grigsby. But his juke of poor Justin Glenn allowed him to break free and break Washington’s back.

“All week in practice coaches say you have to make a guy miss,” Antolin said. “I made (Glenn) miss and I went all the way.”

Antolin was so winded that he said it took him four minutes to recuperate. He did not lose energy on the sprint, however, while separating himself from Glenn and other Washington defenders.

“There was no way I was going to let anybody catch me,” Antolin said, “or else I know I’d hear about it from the coaches.”

Arizona center Colin Baxter knows all too well what it’s like to hear coaches in practice challenging players, especially this week for the beleaguered offensive line. He acknowledged, “You know, Coach Stoops is an excited guy …”

“We felt like we weren’t playing up to our potential,” Baxter said. “If Matt in there it enables us to do some QB run stuff … so that opened some stuff up.

“We hit on our assignments and our techniques.”

Antolin gets the glory of a 78-yard highlight-reel run. What does the offensive line get after a difficult week in practice and an effective performance Saturday night? A free lunch courtesy of Antolin?

“He should buy us one,” Baxter said with a laugh. “The bottom line is we did what we were supposed to do. I’ll take the win.”

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Martinez Gains More National Recognition

2010-10-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

The honors continued to roll in for Taylor Martinez on Monday, as the redshirt freshman was announced as one of 16 semifinalists for the 2010 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, in addition to earning a pair of player-of-the-week honors.

Martinez is the only freshman among the Davey O'Brien semifinalists and is one of four quarterbacks from the Big 12 Conference to make the list. He is the first Husker to be a semifinalist for the award since Eric Crouch, who won the award in 2001. The Davey O'Brien Award also features a fan vote that accounts for five percent of the voting total. Fans can vote for Martinez by visiting www.voteobrien.org.

A native of Corona, Calif., Martinez has led Nebraska to top-20 national rankings in rushing (fifth), scoring offense (10th) and total offense (17th). He has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns. On the ground, Martinez has rushed for 870 yards on 100 carries, scoring 12 times.

Martinez needs only 130 rushing yards to become just the third freshman in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history to both run and pass for 1,000 yards. Martinez is also 223 yards away from posting the highest rushing total ever by a freshman quarterback. Among the individual NCAA leaders, Martinez ranks in the top 10 nationally in rushing yards per game (9th) and scoring (t-10th) and is among the top 25 individuals in passing efficiency (20th) and total offense (23rd).

In addition to being a Davey O'Brien semifinalist, Martinez was also honored as the Big 12 co-Offensive Player of the Week and the Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week. The Big 12 honor marked Martinez's second honor in the past three weeks, while he was named the national freshman of the week for the fourth time this season. On Sunday, Martinez was also selected as the Walter Camp Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week.

Martinez was honored with those awards following an outstanding performance in Nebraska's 51-41 win at previously unbeaten Oklahoma State last Saturday. Against the Cowboys, Martinez completed 23-of-35 passes for 323 yards and five touchdowns, with each of those totals setting a Nebraska freshman record. He added 112 rushing yards on 19 carries to become the first Husker and only the fifth freshman in NCAA history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a single game.

Martinez's 435 yards of total offense set a Nebraska freshman record and ranked third overall in Husker history. Through seven games, Martinez has already set Nebraska freshman records for season passing yards (1,046), longest rush (80 yards, twice) and consecutive 100-yard rushing games (3), along with tying Ahman Green's freshman record of five 100-yard rushing games.

Martinez has also set Nebraska freshman game records for rushing touchdowns (4), passing touchdowns (5), passing yards (323) and total offense (435), and he also owns the Nebraska quarterback record for most rushing yards in a game (241).

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Safety Troy Polamalu A Danger To Pittsburgh's Opponents

2010-10-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

There goes Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, using his uncanny instincts to leap, Superman style, and sack the quarterback an instant after the ball is snapped.

And there's Polamalu again, reaching back to snare an impossible one-handed interception, the ball stuck like Velcro in his grasp.

Polamalu, among the NFL's best defensive players, is everywhere on the field — and the Steelers (4-1) are back in a familiar spot, atop the AFC North as one of the league's three one-loss teams.
The man with the cartoonish large pouf of jet-black hair cascading across his shoulders conjures a different type of cartoon for wary opponents.

"He's like 'Where's Waldo?'" Tampa Bay Coach Raheem Morris said recently. "You've got to know where he is on the field."

Miami will certainly be keeping tabs. The Dolphins play host to Pittsburgh on Sunday and will be especially aware of playing keep-away from Polamalu as they try to get the ball into the hands of star receiver Brandon Marshall.

How much of a game-changer is the former USC safety? Consider that the Steelers won three of their first four games this season without the services of suspended quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, yet were completely lost last season when Polamalu was sidelined with a knee injury. He makes that kind of impact.

The 16th overall pick in the 2003 draft, Polamalu is on a collision course with Canton and is among an elite collection of All-Pro NFL players to emerge from Los Angeles schools in the past two-plus decades — a group that includes USC's Junior Seau and Tony Boselli, and UCLA's Troy Aikman.

So what separates Polamalu from other safeties? A few experts on the position make their case.

Hands

NBC's Rodney Harrison, another two-time All-Pro safety, calls Polamalu "the defensive Randy Moss" for his ability to pull down any pass in his area code.

"I've never seen a guy make so many one-handed interceptions," Harrison said. "Every time that ball hits his hands. I don't care if it's one-handed, if it's behind him, if it's on the sideline, he's going to catch it and he's going to make sure he taps his feet."

Steelers fans won't soon forget the leaning, left-handed pick Polamalu made against Tennessee in last year's opener, a candidate for the most spectacular defensive play of the year.

Feet

One of the reasons the Steelers can get so creative with Polamalu, nudging him close to the line of scrimmage or deep in the defensive backfield, is his ability to cover ground so quickly.

"He's got feet like a running back," said NBC's Tony Dungy, a Super Bowl-winning coach and a former Pittsburgh defensive back. "He's not off balance very much, he can change directions quickly, and he's hard to knock off his feet when you're trying to block him.

"His feet allow him to stay in position and not miss many tackles."

Instincts

Harrison says the Steelers safety has such a good feel for what's about to happen, it's as if he has "football ESP." Hall of Fame safety Rod Woodson, also a former Pittsburgh star, said those instincts allow Polamalu to bend the rules a bit in defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's system.
"I remember when I was with Coach LeBeau in Pittsburgh, and he would always tell us not to turn our back to the ball," said Woodson, an NFL Network analyst. "Well, heck, Troy always turns his back to the ball. I asked Coach, 'Why do you let him do it?' And Coach said, 'Because he can.'

"I think that's an indication of how good he is as an athlete, knowing where he wants to go, and over the years becoming a student of the game. When we first saw Troy come into the league, he was kind of just a kamikaze guy. He was all over the place but wasn't making a whole bunch of plays, he'd miss some tackles. But what he's done the last three years, he's taken his game to the next level."

Heart

As wild as he is on the field, Polamalu is remarkably humble and soft-spoken away from it.

"I don't think football comes naturally to me," he said. "I'm not like [Baltimore linebacker] Ray Lewis that can go out there and say, 'I'm the beast of the field. I own this field.' I'm more or less fighting out of fear."

That has inspired Polamalu to go to extremes when training in the off-season, including going on long runs in the middle of the night "to get my body used to things it doesn't want to do."

He and his wife are devout Eastern Orthodox Christians, and he weaves his spirituality into every facet of his life. That includes what he calls "spiritual workouts," or pushing himself to the point of total fatigue — then beyond.

For example, he has tested himself at a gym near his La Jolla home by turning a treadmill up to maximum speed, then sprinting on it as long as he possibly can until collapsing off it in a heap.

"You're pushing yourself beyond a limit where it stops working on you physically, and it starts working on your spirit," he said.

"As an athlete, if you're able to push yourself to those limits, it can give you a certain confidence. That doesn't come out of pride or ego, it comes out of humility.

"I know this guy's pushing himself hard. I know he works out eight hours a day. So I have to do something more than him in order to compete."

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Sua's Humility, Talent Bring Sweet Music To Kaimuki

2010-10-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

When the helmet and pads are off, Chester Sua can hear the music again.

It's not just the Lil Wayne riffs that filter into his ears. When all's said and done, he transports himself back to a small place on a small island that was once home.

He can hear the a capella of a choir, hymns locked in his heart and memories. He made the voyage from Sailele, American Samoa, just two years ago, but there's no choir for him on Sundays now.

Instead, he churns out his own music on the football field. He makes cutbacks that leave off-balance defenders grasping, resulting in ridiculously balletic excursions to the end zone. When necessary, he cradles the football with two hands and steamrolls unsuspecting foes with his 6-foot-1 1/2 , 208-pound frame for extra yardage, then helps his tacklers up.

There's more than one reason why the Kaimuki Bulldogs -- just 34 players strong -- have racked up eight wins in eight Oahu Interscholastic Association White Conference football games, but Sua is clearly a force of nature. He has lined up as a running back, slotback, wide receiver, safety, linebacker and kick returner.

"The sky's the limit for Chester. He's real driven," said Kaimuki coach Clint Onigama, who has also taught Sua in his Algebra II class.

Sua has also gotten reps at quarterback during practice, but it's far from overload. You won't hear him complain, even in the process of being one of Hawaii's top prospects.

If there's one fact of life that's constant for Sua, it's respect. He might not want to hear your recruiting pitch linger for 1 minute, 5 minutes, 30 minutes ... but he'll nod and take it. He doesn't want to hear about his accomplishments when there are teammates whose blocks made his touchdown happen.

There's a politeness that comes with being raised in Samoa. It's power through kindness.

It's also mandatory ... "or else you'll get lickens," he says with a big grin.

Tumama and Polini Sua's family -- there are seven siblings -- had moved to the Bay Area, and then Las Vegas years ago. One brother, however, was in Hawaii, and though Sua was a very good student at Faagaitua High School, it was time for a change.

He moved in with Naff and his wife, and thus began life in a whole new world, a place where he saw classmates and new friends with a different way of looking at life. One of those people was Mason Kualii-Moe, who wound up playing football and basketball with Sua last year.

They're a year apart and almost brothers. When Sua says he'd like to coach one day, Kualii-Moe doesn't even flinch. That day is well off in the horizon, but they share the same calm disposition. Both advise younger players to work hard and steer away from drugs. It'll be surprising if they aren't on the same staff one day.

Until then, Sua tends to business -- a 3.2 grade-point average. The senior has rushed for 956 yards (6.5 per attempt) and 12 touchdowns, and caught seven more balls for 98 yards and three scores while manning the secondary full-time as a safety. His biggest performance came in a 27-21 win over conference rival Waipahu, scoring all four of his team's touchdowns, including an 88-yard kick return to start the game. He ended the night by picking off Waipahu's Hail Mary pass in the end zone.

Sua and Kualii-Moe were best friends before they became statistical leaders on the field. Kualii-Moe, a junior, leads the Bulldogs with 21 receptions for 352 yards and four touchdowns.

To hang out with his pal on a quiet Sunday, Sua gets a ride from his brother to the other side of the Koolaus. Kualii-Moe, whose family has moved a time or two, lives in Kaneohe just a short walk from a string of fast-food joints. This is where best friends can chill.

SUA HIT THE WEIGHT room with a fury in the offseason, ran on the field almost every day. By spring, Division I college recruiters were wearing out the old asphalt road leading into Kaimuki's athletic department. Coaches from four, sometimes five schools per day visited.

Sua hoped to end speculation and all the on-campus visits by committing to Washington State over the summer.

"He wants to go somewhere where the distractions will be at a minimum," Onigama said.

Kaimuki is one win away from a state-tournament berth. They need to get past Pearl City in the opening round of the OIA White playoffs this weekend to seal a spot. A loss means an unbeaten regular season will have gone for naught.

Sua and his teammates are prepared in every way.

"Be humble. Focused," he said. "We set our goals before the season starts. One goal: a championship."

The sound of it makes Sua smile. It's almost music to his ears.

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Warriors' Win Boosts Team Confidence

2010-10-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

There was one thing that kept Hawaii defensive tackle Kaniela Tuipulotu from racing home Saturday night to watch the pay-per-view replay of the Warriors' 27-21 upset of Nevada.

"I don't have cable," Tuipulotu said. "I'm just a college student."

Instead, he will wait until today's defensive meetings to watch the video of the game.

"It's better to watch it with teammates," he said.

Tuipulotu exemplifies a football team that remains grounded while seeking respect. Even after defeating Nevada, which entered 6-0 and ranked 19th, and even after earning the 29th-most points in yesterday's Associated Press poll, the Warriors still want to be categorized in the underdog breed.

"You can tell (Nevada) underestimated us," Tuipulotu said. "That's what happens when you don't take your opponent seriously. We respect everyone because we know to everyone else -- other teams, the WAC -- they think we suck. We don't take anyone lightly. Every game, for us, is like the USC game."

Cornerback Jeramy Bryant said the Nevada game, during which the Warriors contained quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Vai Taua, was a "confidence booster."

"It was good to know we could play with teams like that, and not only play with them, but beat them," Bryant said. "It took a few games to show the nation we could be pretty good."

Tuipulotu said the Warriors felt "we had something special" back in spring training in April. In February, Nick Rolovich and Dave Aranda were promoted to offensive and defensive coordinators.

"We worked really hard in the spring," safety Mana Silva said.

Back then, Bryant said, the coaches would show videos of their practices, emphasizing how the schemes would be productive.

"From the spring, we knew we had a special team," Bryant said. "We worked hard, and the coaches kept preaching how we could be good."

Defensively, Aranda said the Warriors' multiple schemes would produce turnovers. But in the first three games, the Warriors had no interceptions.

On Saturday, the Warriors intercepted Kaepernick twice, giving them 10 picks in the past four games.

"Sure enough," Bryant said, "the turnovers started to come. We believed we could do those type of turnovers. We believe in ourselves."

Silva said the goal is to win the WAC title and qualify for a bowl game. The Warriors are atop the WAC with a 3-0 record. At 5-2, they need to win two of their remaining six regular-season games for a winning record and the accompanying berth in the Hawaii Bowl.

"We have to continue to improve overall, and hopefully things will fall into place," Silva said.

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Arizona Cardinals' Deuce Lutui Sees His Stock Rising

2010-10-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Deuce Lutui has a reputation. He talks smack. He gets his hands dirty.

He'll hit you in the mouth, and then pat himself on the back.

"The physical part of the game is mine," he said.

After summering in Ken Whisenhunt's doghouse, Lutui has found his juju, and has quickly re-established his place in the room. He's the best offensive lineman on the Cardinals, and should be next on the list of contract extensions. Guys like Lutui - characters obsessed with their own character - are hard to find in the NFL.

"I know what I'm all about," Lutui said. "Deuce Lutui is about integrity. A competitor. A Tongan."

As you'll discover, his heritage is very important.

Technically, Lutui is homegrown, a huge kid known as "Titus" when he attended Mesa High School. He is also from Tonga, the only island nation in the South Pacific never brought under foreign rule, a place where the people come super-sized and men can carry their weight in stone.

At the mere mention of these proud people, Lutui becomes swollen with pride. And in a display of Tongan fury, he reaches to his right, picks up a neighboring stool and flings it across the locker room.

The chair tumbles to a harmless stop. A teammate begins howling with laughter.

"The history of Tongan people, we were warriors!" Lutui continues. "We were the Vikings of the South Pacific, the pearl of Polynesia. I come from the Kingdom of Tonga! That means, when I'm Tongan to the 'T,' I'm Tongan to the death! I'm a Lutui, and I come from a tiny nation, a dot in the middle of the map. Even if you look, you might miss it."

Lutui could be a professional wrestler, and in some ways, he already is. He is comical and self-inflated. He knows all the little tricks and will fight to the echo of the whistle, all day long. Mostly, he makes his teammates smile.

"Deuce, you're playing like this because you want a new contract right?" teases wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who has wandered over for a visit. "Is that what this is all about?"

Fitzgerald bounces away laughing.

"Man, I want to kick his ass," Lutui said.Lutui has made big strides in recent months, after tipping the scales at 396 pounds. Back then, he was unhappy with his tendered offer from the Cardinals, a one-year contract worth $1.7 million. After the team signed two other guards - Rex Hadnot and Alan Faneca - Lutui wondered why he couldn't get a long-term deal. Friends also say he endured a rough offseason, reeling emotionally from the death of his father.

"It was definitely on my mind," Lutui said.

By the time he arrived in Flagstaff, Big Deuce was on tenuous ground. But he began to shed the weight. He did the job, and regained his job. Through five games, Lutui has played hard and well, avoiding all the unnecessary penalty flags he frequently earned for delivering the last shot. And if you listen carefully, no one is mentioning the weight thing anymore.

At least until Lutui stepped on poor Max Hall's foot during Sunday's win over the Saints, forcing the young quarterback to wince in pain. Up in the broadcast booth, Kurt Warner actually grimaced on the air, having experienced such trauma firsthand.

"Deucey, he's a big guy. I think he weighs 450 pounds," Hall cracked. "He got me pretty good, so that one hurt. I try not to show pain, but that one took me a second."

Hall shook it off. And as we've all discovered, you just can't stay mad at Lutui.

"I've handled the distractions, and my stock is escalating," Lutui said. "I've got a master Jedi in a coach, and I'm a young Luke Skywalker. Russ Grimm is Master Yoda, and I will be a Jedi. I will be a Jedi knight one day, and I will get light saber."

With a serious face, Lutui holds the imaginary weapon over his shoulder, as if he's ready to take on Darth Vader.

"And then I'm slicing," he said.

A Jedi Tongan with a mean streak? You better run, son.

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Taumoepeau Has Amazing Visit To ISU

2010-10-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

Cerritos (CA) College defensive lineman Walton Taumoepeau’s visit to Iowa State this past weekend could not have gone any better.

“Everything was perfect and I really enjoyed it a lot,” said Taumoepeau. “It really cemented the fact that Iowa State is definitely the number one school that I think I will be going to. They need in help in the middle of their defensive line and we talked about me coming in and making an impact right away.”
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound defensive tackle has an offer from Iowa State but is also hearing from Washington, FIU, and Oregon State.

He told Cyclone Sports Report that while Iowa State is his clear favorite that he does not plan on making any decisions right away.

“I really like them now but I might want to take a few more visits,” said Taumoepeau. “I will probably make my decision by the end of the season.”

Walton feels that many things stuck out to as why he is so high on Iowa State.

“I really like the academic situation there and that fact that they have such a high graduation rate for their football players,” he said. “It really shows they care about you and that they really want you to graduate from college. I also like the environment because it’s different from what I am used to and the support they get from the fans is amazing.”

Walton also enjoyed getting to know Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads.

“He keeps things real and you can tell that he really cares a lot about his players,” said Taumoepeau. “We got to talk one-on-one and he told me how much he really needs a big defensive tackle for next year’s team. He sees me as a run stopper and likes how I can hold up the middle of the line.”

Walton will be graduating this fall and is attending to be a part of spring practice at the school that he chooses during the next month or two.

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Fa’a Samoa-The Mageo Way

2010-10-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

In September on CBS's 60 Minutes, correspondent Scott Pelley presented a report, American Samoa: Football Island. Pelley reported that 30 NFL players and over 200 Division-I players are of Samoan descent. N.C. State senior starting defensive tackle Natanu Mageo is one of those players.

Raised in Pago-Pago, Mageo started playing football in high school. There were no youth football programs in Samoa until this past year. Mageo like other boys grew up playing rugby but could not wait to play football.

"I always loved football and couldn't wait to get to put on the pads," Mageo said. "Its part of our culture, everybody wants to play football back home."

In Pelley's 60 Minutes report, he travels to American Samoa and visits with the football teams. On his visit he notices big differences in the conditions in which they played and practiced that spoke to a toughness and passion for the game. Teams did not have nice fields but dirt and rocks, teams did not all have pads and had to share the old beaten up ones that they did have.

"We had to share our pads and helmets with the JV team," Mageo said. "For the practices Varsity would get the pads on Mondays and Tuesdays and JV would get the pads on Wednesdays. They played their games of Thursday and Fridays and we played on Saturdays."

Like many impoverished societies, there are few ways to be successful in American Samoa. It was planned throughout grade school to either try to go to the states to go to college, or to join the military. Football became another part of the plan in recent years.

"You look forward to it, you were expecting to leave the island. Most people go to college or join the military," Mageo said. "Plan B for me was to go to college and play football. To go to the military was supposed to be Plan A but Plan B presented itself, so I took it."

At the time the only film of games were at the Samoan All-Star game and the Samoa Bowl, played against Hawaii. With the game footage from these games, Mageo was recruited and given a partial scholarship to play for New Mexico Military Junior College. After two seasons playing there, Mageo began getting recruited by Division-I schools all over the nation.

Recruiting Coordinator and Special teams coach Jerry Petercuskie travelled to Roswell, N.M. to visit with Mageo.

"We were looking for an older defensive tackle so I started looking at junior colleges and decided to go check him out," Petercuskie said. "We aren't going to bring in a player without finding out if they can play, if they are smart, if they are hard working and if they are a good person, Natanu was that and more."

Mageo has had to face many differences in his life here outside of football, experiencing a kind of culture shock being 6,900 miles from home.

"In our culture, everyone is real respectful to others, it's a whole different world," said Mageo. "Back home you can rely on each other and be more open with people but over here you have to rely more on yourself and that's how you survive."

Mageo also had never spoken fluent English. Growing up he learned English in class but spoke Samoan outside of it and in New Mexico there were other Samoans who he could communicate with. At State he has had to adjust to a lack of that communication.

"Its difficult because I think Samoan. When someone speaks to me it gets translated into Samoan in my head and I have to think before I reply in Samoan," Mageo said. "I adjusted by not being able to speak Samoan to anybody."

The only time Mageo speaks Samoan now is once a week during his calls home. Mageo's last time home was during the break between the holiday break last year. Visiting right after the largest earthquake of the year hit and caused a tsunami that devastated American Samoa, just two months before.

"It was right after practice and I had a lot of text messages telling me to call home and asking how my family was doing. So I ran to the training room and had them turn to the news," Mageo said. "I had never been worried in my life before then. I thought it was the safest place ever but when I talked to my cousins they said that's where the tsunami hit the worst, in my hometown.

"The next day I got a call from my auntie and she said my family was ok but at the same time a lot of people still died. It was a hard time and when those kinds of things happen, the only thing you wish for is to be with your family. All I could do was hope and pray for the best."

A major focus in the Pelley piece is in regard to the tough nature and strong culture of the Samoan people. In his report he interviews Troy Polamalu, perennial Pro-Bowler and Super Bowl winning safety for the Pittsburg Steelers, who is of Samoan descent. Polamalu spoke of Fa'a Samoa, translated "The Samoan Way."

"It is Samoan culture, Samoan tradition," said Mageo. "The Samoan mentality is that you are supposed to be tough." It's not only people's expectations but it's my mentality when I play because that's how I was brought up."

A criminology major due to graduate this May, Mageo carries Fa'a Samoa with him off the field as well, hoping his education here at State will not only provide him with a chance to play football, but also give him a valuable education that hopefully leads him to a job.

"I'm trying to get my degree and do something with it," Mageo said.

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Worth More Than A Super Bowl

2010-10-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Years ago on the island of Pago Pago, a little boy by the name of Shaun Nua trekked through the fern, banyan and Aoa tree-filled tropical rain forest of Samoa with his father and uncle while hunting wild pigs for their family dinner. Years later, this same boy would leave the jungles of his homeland and strap on a helmet and wear the blue and white of BYU, changing his life forever.

It was a day Shaun Nua will never forget. As a young boy, he and his uncle used a rope to catch the back leg of a frantic wild boar. Scared and in panic of what was to come, Nua knew the pig had to be restrained before being killed. Hearing the commands from his uncle, Nua was hesitant but wanted to be obedient and not disappoint. Unfortunately before he could reach the pig, it loosened its bond and ran screaming straight towards a paralyzed Shaun Nua standing with eyes wide open. With a hard thud, Nua was knocked backwards to the ground and began to cry. It was a long time from that day to the day he put on a football helmet with a Y logo on the side.

"No, I never dreamed I would be where I am now," said Nua with a large smile on his face. “I was just a little kid from the islands and never dreamed that I would one day play football over here at BYU. My passion for football brought me here to BYU and it's since taken me to other places."

After spending three years at BYU as a defensive lineman, Nua was drafted in the seventh round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005. While suited up as an NFL player, he reached the pinnacle of what he believed life could afford.

"Here I am a kid from Samoa playing in the biggest football arena in the world,” said Nua, who spent three years with the Steelers. “I was living what I thought was my dream."

During his rookie year, Nua would be part of a team that beat the Seattle Seahawks to win the Super Bowl.

"I had reached my final goal," said Nua. "I won a Super Bowl my rookie year and thought, 'Man, is this it?' It wasn't what I thought it would be when I was a kid. I mean, I was on the field and on the sidelines as an NFL player and we won a Super Bowl. It just wasn't what I thought. When it was all said and done, it really helped me to see what BYU was really all about."

Growing up on the island of Samoan, Nua and his family didn't have much and lived off the land like most Polynesians do. After a three-year stint in the NFL and a Super Bowl victory, the dream Nua once had was non-fulfilling and unsatisfying.

"I learned that money will not make you happy, that fame is overrated and it makes you forget who you are and where you come from," said Nua with a serious tone. "It made me realize that there was something more valuable out there than fame, money and football. Man, it made me think and finally realize all those things that Bronco Mendenhall had been teaching me when I was a player at BYU. It finally all came together."

In time Nua would eventually make his way back to BYU as a general assistant coaching on the offensive side of the ball. He was switched back to defense after Coach Hill was fired after the fifth game of the 2010 season. Nua is happy he is back on the defensive side of the ball, where he can now coach a team he once played for and loves.

"I learned a lot from Coach Anae and Coach Weber, but man, now I feel like I'm back home coaching on defense," Nua said. "I'm happy I'm back. Now it's basically kicking this defense's butt every day and trying to help out the d-line with the knowledge I gained from Pittsburgh. I'll help Bronco and Coach Kaufusi with the nose tackles and d-ends. We have good kids and I love these kids. They're learning just like I did when I played here."

While on the Steelers, Nua was learning and competing in football at a higher level. He was a professional playing among and against some of the best talent around. His position coach John Mitchell had 18 years of NFL experience, ranking him the longest-tenured member of the Steelers coaching staff. During his time with the Steelers he learned a lot, and has carried that knowledge with him.

"[The Steelers] run a 3-4 defense and BYU runs a 3-4 defense,” said Nua. “It really gave me a lot of knowledge on how things should look and how things should be done. Man, I learned a lot and Pittsburgh would be the first to tell you that they don't have all the answers to shutting down offenses, but there is hard work and fundamentals and that's what BYU is trying to do. With the knowledge that I gained there, it will help me here and hopefully we can go forward. I think it's a big advantage on my part and now I just have to take advantage of that and be unselfish with that and pass it on."

When Nua returned to BYU to coach as a G.A., his path would take another unexpected turn. On September 29 this year, Nua entered the waters of baptism and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"It's been nine years since the time I first stepped foot on campus to the day I got baptized," said Nua. "What influenced me was I wanted to be happy. When I left for the NFL, I was happy but I wasn't completely happy. Something was missing inside. I'm not bashing on any other church and think all other churches are good, but I just felt peace and happiness in this church. It took a long time, and it wasn't like I wasn't happy with my old church – I just felt more comfortable with this church and I believe in it. When I finally investigated the Church on my own, I realized things were different and saw for myself the fullness. Before I wasn't complete and right now this is the most complete I've ever been.

"When I first came here to BYU, I came here for football, but what I found was something bigger. My path is kind of funny and I definitely found something bigger than just football through BYU. Now I'm coaching here and I love being around these kids. One day I would like to take everything I've gained from this experience and go back home to Samoa someday and help the little kids live the dream I once had."
While playing for the Cougars, Nua grew very close to Jim Hamblin, a staff member at the Student Athlete Academic Center. After deciding to join the Church, Nua asked Hamblin to perform the baptism.

"Hamblin and I've been friends since I was here," Nua said. "If you go to his office and sit there the whole day, it's like a therapy session. You'll see members of the Church, non-members, white people, black people, Tongans, Samoans, Fijians, and all kinds of people will be in his office. He never forced me to become a member, but if I had a question he would answer it. He's a good friend and a good person and when I asked him to baptize me, he answered the call. He's a great-hearted guy and helps out all the kids from all sports. I wouldn't have wanted anybody else to baptize me."

Nua also chose to have others that influenced him at BYU participate at his baptism.

"Coach Reynolds gave me the gift of the Holy Ghost," Nua said. "He's another special man and a great influence. With Coach Tidwell, it was kind of a last-minute thing, and I was thinking, ‘Who better to give the talk on [baptism] than the person that brought me here?’ Coach Tidwell is the one that found me and recruited me, and so I picked him to give the talk on baptism. He's a great man and it's really because of him that I'm even here."

Meanwhile, Nua chose to have Kelly Poppinga give the talk on the Holy Ghost at his baptism.

"Kelly Poppinga is another person that I worked with and answered a lot of my questions," Nua said. "Last year when I was a G.A., we both would stay up late talking. We would get up early and talk some more. I had so many questions and he became a close friend of mine is one of the best friends I've ever had."

Many of Nua’s family members and friends went to his baptism. BYU president Cecil O. Samuelson was even in attendance.

"I didn't think there was going to be that many people there because it was such short notice," said Nua. "My parents made it here from back home in Samoa, and there were just a lot of people that was there. It was better than winning the Super Bowl. I was happy and I was on cloud nine and it's hard to explain. I wouldn't trade it for any Super Bowl ring and would give it away in a heartbeat to find what I've found.

"In fact, I did give my Super Bowl ring away to my dad the first day I got it," continued Nua. "I really don't care about things like that and would never trade this experience at BYU and joining the Church for anything in the world. A Super Bowl and a ring is something you can give away, but this experience is something you just can't trade for anything. There is no comparison between being baptized into the Church and winning the Super Bowl. I wouldn't trade being baptized for any Super Bowl ring. I'm really happy now. There is not even any comparison to finding the true religion. There is nothing even better than that."

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Malcom Floyd Erupts For 213 yards, TD In Loss

2010-10-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Malcom Floyd caught eight passes for 213 yards with a touchdown in Sunday's loss to the Raiders.

Floyd continues to fit perfectly as the deep threat complement to Antonio Gates in the Chargers' vertical attack. He took advantage of some woeful blown coverage by the Raiders today, but also showed an ability to make tough catches in traffic. It's a career game for Floyd and he gets another great matchup with the Rams next week. Floyd is an ideal WR3 with tons of breakout upside.

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Strong Relationships Remind Quarterback Of Home

2010-10-09T01:38:00.000-07:00

The distance between Gardena, Calif., and Athens is 2,334 miles. For Boo Jackson, a few old friends and some new teammates made the gap much more manageable.

Ohio's redshirt-senior quarterback came to the Bobcats after two years at El Camino College with his teammate and fellow redshirt-senior, Hilton Dawson III.

When preparing to move to Ohio, Jackson heard that Patrick Tafua, a junior-college player at Golden West College in California, also planned to join the Bobcats.

"We played against each other," Jackson joked. "I threw a couple touchdown passes on him."

Jackson sent Tafua a message on Facebook, and the trio planned to fly to Ohio together.

"Ever since we got here, we've been close," Jackson said of recently graduated Tafua and Dawson. "All of us are family-oriented. We love our family. We want to be as close to our family as possible."

But going to school on the opposite side of the country made that unfeasible. The trio stuck together for the most part, which helped ease the transition to the Midwest.

Tafua and Jackson hit it off almost immediately because of their similar heritage.

"Boo is half-Hawaiian, and me being Samoan and just having the Polynesian kind of mentality. All of the Polynesians, whether you're from Hawaii or Samoa or wherever, you're family," Tafua said. "Family is the biggest thing, in that sense in that common respect we have for each other."

But Jackson and Tafua both said it didn't take long to make friends in Athens.

"The people here are so friendly," Jackson said. "They just came up to me and went, 'Oh! You're the new quarterback.'"

Jackson said he missed his family, but making new friends and getting close to his teammates helped him cope with his relatives not being able to watch him play every weekend.

"We get four tickets a game, and I have to give them away," Jackson said. "It's kind of difficult at times, but we know we made the right decision."

Jackson's mother, brother, sister, brother-in-law and niece all attended the Marshall and Ohio State games this season, the first time they saw Jackson play since 2008.

"It was tremendous for me," Jackson said. "It's not a five-hour drive (for them to get to games), it's a five-hour plane ride, so it's kind of difficult."

Despite the close family relationship, Jackson defied his mother's wishes when it came to something that had been a signature of his for a long time: his hair.

Since he arrived in Athens, Jackson gained notice off the field for two reasons: his easy-going attitude and long, frizzy locks. In 2008, he decided to cut it off while his mother was in town.

"I've had long hair since before I came here," Jackson said. "It's kind of like a Polynesian thing."

Jackson's mother was cooking dinner when Tafua reached for the hair clippers. By the time the quarterback's hair was gone, his mother had angrily walked away.

"She stopped making dinner and went to sleep. I was like, 'Okay, I'll finish,'" Jackson joked. "She loves my long hair. It was difficult for her to watch."

The quarterback said he cut it because he didn't enjoy the recognition he received when walking around campus.

In his first game after the trim, Jackson threw for five touchdowns against Akron, making him think short hair was a good omen. But a season-ending shoulder injury at the beginning of 2009 made the quarterback jokingly rethink it.

Now in his final year of eligibility, Jackson has started Ohio's last two games, throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns.

He said that, no matter where he ends up, Athens will always remind him of home.

"Where I grew up is exactly like this," he said. "It's a small town surrounded by a high school, college town. All we had was a Walmart and a movie theater.

"It actually makes me appreciate this place more."

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Beaver From Tonga Learning On The Fly

2010-10-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

As a boy in Tonga, Stephen Paea figured he had two choices.

"Everybody's got to play rugby," he said. "Either that, or you cook for the rugby team."

More comfortable on the pitch than in a kitchen, Paea took up the sport. He hoped it would make him famous in the rugby-crazy country.

His mother was traveling in New Zealand when he was born, but Paea (pronounced PIE-yuh) was raised on Vava'u, a chain of 41 islands in the 169-island Tongan archipelago.

That's a long way from Corvallis, Ore., where Oregon State's senior defensive tackle is competing for All-America honors after deciding not to leave early for the NFL draft.

The Beavers play at Arizona Stadium on Saturday.

As a boy, Paea knew of American football only from the "Madden" video games - and even then, he joked, the graphics were fuzzy.

He moved to Los Altos, Calif., with his family at 16. He learned English, and didn't play a down of football until his senior year of high school.

He lined up at offensive guard and defensive tackle, but didn't know what he was doing.

"My job was easy," he said. "To protect the quarterback, and to get after the quarterback."

He was promising enough to play at powerful Snow College, redshirting in 2006 and playing for an 11-1 team in 2007.

When he set foot at Oregon State, lured by other Polynesian players, Paea had played three years of football - and only two years' worth of game experience.

Even now, he is in the midst of his fifth-ever season of games.

"That's why he's so intriguing as a player," OSU coach Mike Riley said. "To see his physical talent and watch him grow as a player has been a lot of fun."

The 6-foot-1-inch, 311-pounder became a YouTube sensation when video showed him bench-pressing 225 pounds 44 times - and that was when he was tired after a workout.

The NFL combine record is 45 (since 2000).

Paea might be the strongest player, at any position, in the sport. He can squat 600 pounds, bench-press 500 and run a 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds.

"His strength and quickness are outstanding," Riley said. "He is learning, I think, probably every time he plays."

Paea, who still plays rugby for fun in the off-season, had 11 tackles-for-loss and five sacks as a sophomore in 2008, and 8.5 tackles-for-loss and three sacks last season. He received the Morris Trophy, a Pac-10 defensive award voted on by offensive linemen.

His NFL draft flirtation yielded assurances of a late second- or early third-round selection, but he decided to return for his senior season.

The sociology major can become the first person in his family - he has four siblings, including a twin brother, Will, who played junior college football - to graduate from a four-year college.

"I feel comfortable here," he said, "and had that gut feeling that I'm not ready."

He's become the Pac-10's problem.

UA co-offensive coordinator Bill Bedenbaugh said few opponents dare block Paea with only one player. Paea had his best game Saturday against Arizona State, Bedenbaugh said, when the Beavers sacked Steven Threet six times.

"Even when he wasn't sacking the quarterback, most of those sacks came with him disrupting the pocket," Bedenbaugh said.

Paea can only wonder how good he'd be if football, not rugby, was the sport he had played as a child.

"Oh man," he said. "It would be a different story."

Certainly no different than the story he dreamt as a boy. The goal is still the same, even if the sport is different.

"I had a dream - I thought rugby was going to get me to that," he said. "It's the same thing with football now. It all of a sudden changed. I've been blessed."

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Martinez Making Huskers See, Believe

2010-10-08T00:12:00.000-07:00

So, everyone saw that, right?

We saw that blink-of-a first step that started a straight line to the end zone, capped by his appreciative, celebratory point at the band and surrounding fans who made the trip from Lincoln to Manhattan for the last time?

We saw that sprint around the defense, certain that any defender intent on closing off the sideline would get there a few crucial seconds too late?

We saw Taylor Martinez channel T-Magic and silence a sea of purple on the road for the second time in his brief five-start career, beating Kansas State 48-13 in his first conference game, weeks after leading a five-touchdown stomping of Washington in Seattle.
We saw a redshirt freshman tempt us to throw his name in the same sentence with Heisman Trophy.

We ain't seen nothin' yet.

"He made some mistakes, but he did a lot of good things, obviously. He ran for a lot of yards," said coach Bo Pelini.

More yards, in fact, than any quarterback in the long history of Nebraska football. This isn't the old-school option attack the corn-fed Nebraskans grew up watching, but they'll gladly take it.

Martinez's 241 rushing yards stated loudly, to everyone watching inside the stadium and on the national telecast, that any team who beats Nebraska will have to beat him first. And if they do, they'll have to deal with his two friends, running backs Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu, who combined to run for 167 more yards on 19 carries, an average of almost 9 yards a carry. With apologies to Oregon, there might not be a rushing attack in college football more difficult to defend.

The defenses will get better than Kansas State, who entered Thursday night's game as the Big 12's worst run defense and outside the top 100 nationally. But Nebraska's got a pretty good one, and they held Daniel Thomas, the Big 12's leading rusher, to just 63 yards on 22 carries, almost 100 yards below his average of 157 a game.

But those same Blackshirts hate seeing Martinez every day as much as Kansas State did on Thursday, and the Wildcats only had to fail at catching him for a little more than three quarters.

"It's frustrating," said Nebraska linebacker Alonzo Whaley. "You never know what to expect from him. What you saw out here today, we've seen all camp. It's good to see him execute, and it's really confusing. It bothers us a lot. It bothers the defense when there's somebody so explosive."

The toughest part of defending Martinez is what Kansas State learned very quickly on Thursday night, and what every defense the rest of the year will have to compensate for better than the Wildcats.

"The hardest part is knowing he can outrun you," Whaley said.

Get used to it. And that goes for almost everyone. Martinez says he ran a "low 4.4" 40-time as a junior in high school and hasn't been clocked since. True or not, you won't hear any arguments from Manhattan for awhile.

And that blur we saw cross the goal line four times will get better fast, making more opponents resort to Kansas State's most-often used defensive strategy in the lopsided loss: the cuss and chase. (Not allowed at Kansas.)

"He's not a done project. Everybody's got to remember, he's a redshirt freshman. He's got a lot of work to do, but the thing about this kid is he's a fierce competitor. He doesn't say a lot because he strives for perfection in everything he does," said offensive coordinator Shawn Watson. "He's really easy to motivate in that aspect because he wants to be a great player. He wants to be the best."
Pretty soon, he might be.

We saw that half step Kansas State got on Martinez's 79-yard touchdown pass to Kyler Reed in the third quarter. It stretched the lead to a comical 38-6 after a hard-earned field goal from the Wildcats.

Martinez might not be handing out those half steps to defenses for much longer.

"Honestly, because of the way these games have evolved, you haven't seen him as a passer. He's a really good passer," Watson said. "He's got passing talent. We haven't thrown it that much."

Just seven times on Thursday and 64 times in five games. And why would they? Kansas State would have liked nothing more.

When the season began, Nebraska had a quarterback controversy. Or at least claimed to have one, with Pelini insisting Martinez and his backups were "close" before fall camp began. Here's guessing it wasn't much of a controversy very long in the coaches' meetings. After Martinez's debut in the season opener, Watson admitted that his status as the team's starting quarterback was "clear" by the end of fall camp.

Ya don't say.

He looks ready to hit that lengthy stride plenty more times and take Nebraska on a ride in its final season in the Big 12. After Thursday night, the path looks clear: a date with the Sooners for a storybook Big 12 title game between the Big 12's only two teams currently in the top 10.

Getting there will be fun. It might come with a few bumps in the road, like the mistake-filled performance against South Dakota State a week ago that Watson said left Martinez feeling "insulted," both by his own performance and the coaches' decision to pull him late in the game.

But performances like those fuel performances like this, when his fifth touchdown of the night sent fans to the exits with just over 12 minutes left to play.

Martinez won't talk about it now, but plenty of schools in the Pac-10 saw the Corona, Calif., native long before Thursday night, when the rest of America caught up. They didn't see their future starting quarterback.

Understatement perhaps, but...bad move.

After Thursday's win, all Nebraska is left looking for is Martinez's ceiling.

"We'll see," Watson said. "The kid's been amazing."

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The "Taua of Powa" Runs Over UNLV

2010-10-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

It was a big night for Nevada's Vai Taua as the Wolf Pack (5-0) beat UNLV 44-28 and remained undefeated and in the Top 25. The "Taua of Powa" rushed for three touchdowns and caught a pass for a fourth as the Wolf Pack rolled up 516 total yards, 374 on the ground. QB Colin Kaepernick had 97 yards rushing and 124 yards passing with one touchdown in the air and another on the ground.

Most importantly, Kaepernick now has 48 rushing touchdowns and, with eight remaining regular season games, needs only 11 more touchdowns to tie the all-time NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. He has already surpassed Tim Tebow's career rushing yardage mark.

UNLV managed only 80 yards on the ground but had nearly 300 yards of total offense as their quarterback Omar Clayton proved to be elusive, accurate, and very fast.

Nevada retained possession of the precious Fremont Canon, the heaviest and most expensive "trophy" in college football.

In a moment of some concern, UNLV player Michael Johnson appeared to have been knocked out briefly after a massive hit by Nevada linebacker James Michael Johnson that forced a fumble. In a remarkable display of courtesy and good sportsmanship, the Nevada player took a knee just yards from the injured UNLV player and just feet from the Rebel bench. Given the intense rivalry between the teams, this display of good sportsmanship was praiseworthy. Fortunately, the UNLV player was not seriously injured and able to return to play.

The Nevada Wolf Pack, keeping pace with the undefeated Boise State Broncos, now moves on to conference play and will face San Jose State in Reno next week. If both Nevada and Boise State remain undefeated, this will set up what would surely be one of the best games of the entire college football season in Reno on November 26.

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Any Samoans In The House?

2010-10-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

If so, please make Natanu Mageo your Facebook friend.

Mageo is on N.C. State's football team. It is particularly rare to have a Samoan football player on the East Coast. Most of 'em, and there's a bunch, play for West Coast schools. Hailing from Pago Pago in American Samoa (hope you caught the 60 Minutes piece on Samoan players defying the odds and making it to the NFL), Mageo was told by his father that maybe he should pick a West Coast school when he was ready to transfer from a New Mexico junior college.

But Natanu chose N.C. State.

"The biggest adjustment, I think, is talking so much English," Mageo said. "I never spoke English so much until I got here to Raleigh."

The Wolfpack player said he searches relentlessly for Samoans in the Raleigh area in order to talk about home but hasn't found a single one.

"I haven't seen one Samoan in Raleigh," Natanu said. "I even tried to look them up on Facebook."

Any Samoans out there?

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Ngata, Defense Stepped Up Big In Ravens vs Pittsburgh

2010-10-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

After the Ravens defense allowed rookie Peyton Hillis to rush for 144 yards and surrendered their first touchdown of the season against the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore defense, led by a great performance from Haloti Ngata, dominated up front against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Though the boxscore will tell you that Reshard Mendenhall rushed for 79 yards and accounted for both of the Steelers’ touchdowns, the Ravens d-line was in their face all day long.

Haloti Ngata, looking for a new contract after this season, was the Ravens leader up front yesterday with eight tackles and the team’s only sack. Ngata’s speed went unmatched as he was able to catch up with receivers across the middle and make his way through the offensive line. Paul Kruger also got in on the action up front as a pass rusher and appeared to fit right into the Baltimore de.

The defense limited Pittsbugh to just four third down conversions on 11 attempts and pressured Charlie Batch to just 12 completions and an interception. Though I should give credit to Batch for quickly releasing the ball when the Ravens threw everything they had at him on third downs.

While the Ravens were able to control the run game, they were tested in the secondary. Though they’ve played the offenses of New York and Cincinnati, prior to this match up only Seneca Wallace and the Browns have truly tested the Ravens secondary down field. Lardarius Webb proved once again that he has what it takes to be a great defender in the secondary yesterday. His reactions to the quarterback Charlie Batch secured the Ravens from a few big plays down field.

And in the victory the Ravens finally ended their interception drought. They did wait until there was just 28 seconds left in the fourth game in the season, but they got it done. Hopefully it’s the first of many and how fitting it was that number 52 came up with the ball that secured the win in Pittsburgh.

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Pilares Adds Power

2010-10-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hawaii football player Kealoha Pilares' father knew best.

And this was before Pilares knew of Blaze Soares.

During the 2007 spring training, his first as a Warrior, Pilares, then playing running back, had to go up against heat-seeking linebacker Blaze Soares in several drills.

"He's a big bully," Pilares said, smiling. "Blaze is Blaze. That's how he is. He'll run you over if you're not ready for it. The same thing with the other guys. Over here, the defense is known for hitting. You'd better be ready to hit, or you won't play. I wanted to play."

That is when the off-to-college advice of his father began to crystallize.

"My dad told me: 'You'd better get your butt into the weight room,'" Pilares recalled.

After four years of intensive training, Pilares has gained 30 pounds of muscle and now is a 205-pound slotback.

Pilares is the current NCAA leader in receiver yards (682). After a school-record 18 catches for 217 yards in a 41-21 victory over Louisiana Tech, Pilares was named yesterday the Western Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Week.

"It's not anything special," Pilares said of receiving his first individual WAC award. "I didn't win the Heisman or anything."

Because of the intensity of the game, Pilares said, "You kind of forget about everything. I didn't know I was getting the ball that much, and I don't think (quarterback Bryant Moniz) knew he was throwing me the ball that much. He was throwing it to the open guy. We had a lot of open guys."

Pilares credited the other receivers, particularly left slotback Greg Salas, for drawing away defenders. He also praised Moniz, marveling at the quarterback's stiff-armed move on a scramble.

"I think that was his boxing skills, that jab," Pilares said. "You like to see your quarterback playing like that. It gives you goose bumps. Just watching Mo play is so exciting."

Pilares also has been entertaining, although he has been quick to embrace assistant coach Mouse Davis' advice.

"Coach Mouse said two things can happen to you right now: 'You can either get better or get worse,'" Pilares recalled. "We can't think about anything except working hard."

Such distractions include pondering a football future beyond the Manoa campus. During the Colorado game, four NFL scouts praised Pilares' post-catch abilities. Two weeks ago, a scout for the New England Patriots also gave a good review.

"If the opportunity comes, it comes," Pilares said. "I'm not going to worry about it now."

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Buffalo Bills Release Kawika Mitchell

2010-10-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Trent Edwards isn't the only veteran who was sent packing by the Buffalo Bills this week.

The Bills reached an injury settlement Friday with linebacker Kawika Mitchell, and he is no longer a member of the team.

Mitchell was on the injured reserve list because of a foot injury and could not play this season for the Bills. However, now that he has been released, as soon as he's healthy, he could play for another team.

Mitchell joined the Bills in 2008 as a free agent, one year after winning a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants. He played all of 2008, then saw action in only five games in 2009 because of a quadriceps injury. In 21 games with Buffalo, he had 117 tackles with four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Once the Bills switched to a 3-4 defense, it seemed as if he was no longer a proper fit. He was an outside 4-3 linebacker, and the team asked him to move inside. He could not beat out Paul Posluszny or Andra Davis for a starting spot in training camp, and then suffered his injury before the start of the regular season. It is believed that he asked the team to release him.

"Going into this year looking at our linebacker corps we looked deep," Posluszny told buffalobills.com. "We had a lot of guys and unfortunately he gets banged up early and now he's not with us anymore. So it's a tough situation any time it happens, but especially with a guy like him that we all respected."

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Oregon State's Stephen Paea: 'Enough talking, just do it, is all I'm trying to say''

2010-10-02T00:35:00.000-07:00

We were face to face with DT Stephen Paea after Tuesday’s practice, demanding answers, demanding to know why a highly-regarded future NFL draft pick isn’t just tossing aside linemen and swallowing up quarterbacks. Why isn’t Paea dominating games like Ndamukong Suh did last year for Nebraska?

Well, I’m not sure Paea – one of our favorite all-time players by the way – is in Suh’s class for starters. And he’s getting doubled and tripled at times – although defensive coordinator Mark Banker disagreed with me on this after the TCU game. … and the defensive front in general has not played particularly well except for stretches in the Louisville game.

The Banker defense isn’t designed for a single DT – even a Stephen Paea – to make ESPN highlight plays on every down, I get that. But I also know that fans are disappointed that this OSU defense isn't kicking butt and taking names like some previous versions did, especially in Reser. And judging from the talk I had with Paea, the players are also aware that there is much work to be done if they want to contend for the conference championship again.

Paea sounded confident that OSU will play better. It’s that or face the consequences of being an afterthought in the Pac-10 race. Paea said Pac-10 games are going to be a war. “I mean, look at Oregon,’’ he said. “They were kicking butt and they showed up and they struggled vs. ASU. It’s a very competitive conference.’’

Paea said some frustration spilled over on the plane ride home from Boise and players spoke openly about what needs to be done. He called it an informal team meeting. “Enough talking,’’ said Paea. “Just do it, is all I’m trying to say. We’ve got to fix some stuff. … we’re still trying to find that lost piece of the puzzle. We’ve got to put it back together.’’

Paea praised the play of fellow DTs Kevin Frahm and Brennan Olander in the Boise State game, and said he certainly isn’t blameless when it comes to pointing fingers and trying to determine why this OSU defense is statistically getting killed (it ranks 108th in total defense among 120 FBS teams)

“I’ve had problems, too, like some stunt problems,’’ said Paea.

Are the double teams frustrating?

“It’s a compliment pretty much, a sign of respect,’’ he said. “But at the same time, I’ve got to step my game up. Double teams shouldn’t be an issue for me. I should go through those double-teams because I go through them every day here (in practice).’’

Why just two sacks in three games? Paea can partially answer this. And he said it doesn’t necessarily mean the defensive front is terrible.

   For starters, he said, “we’ve played two of the top teams in the nation. … and that three-step drop and all that, it’s just the nature of (spread offenses). That ball is going to come out fast, like it did at Boise State (with QB Kellen Moore). You can line up and go untouched to the quarterback and the ball’s coming out. You can’t do anything about it. And Kellen Moore, talk about a (Heisman-type) quarterback. Dalton, too.

“We stopped ‘em (BSU) a few times, but it wasn’t enough to win the game. That’s why they’re No. 3 in the nation. And we’re not at that level yet.’’

   The OSU offense ran fewer plays after three games than any FBS team in the country, which meant the defense was on the field for LONG stretches.

   “We get tired, but we’ve got to find a way,’’ said Paea, who said being on the field for extra snaps isn’t a huge issue for the Beavers because the team rotates so many players.

    Paea said the beleaguered cornerbacks, “have to help us,’’ by covering better.

    He said the defensive line must help out the cornerbacks, “by pressuring the passer and getting some sacks.’’

     None of it is rocket science. And one bang-up afternoon against Arizona State will take some heat off the defense, said Paea.

     “We talked (on the plane home) about not letting Boise State get us down,’’ said No. 54.

    “One of the guys made a good point, that a lot of people thought we were going to get blown out by Boise State. But we hung in there, and we even had a chance to win at the end. … we made some simple mistakes that we’ve got to fix.

    “Less talk, more action,’’ said Paea.

    “It starts with Arizona State, and carries all the way to the Oregon game.

    “It starts with ASU, then it’s one game at a time.’’

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Next Man Up

2010-10-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

A bye week is just what the Southwestern College football team needed. It was a rough month.

The schedule maker threw the Jaguars a one-two punch by opening the season with Palomar College, the nation's #8-ranked community college team, followed two weeks later by perennial powerhouse Grossmont. At least that's over with.

SWC played well but not well enough in a 23-13 loss to the Comets and a 45-31 defeat in the hands of the Griffins. Sandwiched in between was a 26-0 win over San Diego Mesa College.

Jag players and coaches said they are hoping the Mesa game will be typical of the rest of the season.

While the Jags have lost key players like wide receiver George Bell, now at Arizona State, the team remains confident with its newcomers and returnees.

Freshman Thomas Tutogi has proven he is ready to play at the collegiate level. SWC head coach Ed Carberry referred to the young linebacker as a "true Division-I talent."

Despite being offered a scholarship to play at San Jose State, a Division-I school, fellow linebacker Ramsey Iapala convinced him to stay at SWC for at least one year to find a school that would be better suited for his talents.

Throughout training camp Tutogi and Iapala learned to count on each other.

"If I mess up, I trust Iapala enough to know that he is going to make up for my messing up," said Tutogi.
Sophomore defensive back Ivan Sillas-Navarro said he is excited to play behind the talented linebackers.

"I can look my linebackers right in the eye and I know that I got their back and they got mine," he said.
Sillas-Navarro said he has seen the chemistry build over the past year.

"We had a lot of individuality last year," he said. "People did not look out for each other but just for themselves. I feel a big change."

After completing its first shutout in seven years against Mesa, the stingy Jaguar defense has earned a reputation.

"If we go out and punch them in the mouth first before they punch us in the mouth, the game is over," said Iapala, who sacked Mesa's quarterback in the end zone for a safety in the Week Two victory.

Unlike the rock-solid defense, there remains uncertainty at the offensive skilled positions, which has remained the team's biggest concern throughout the offseason.

Victor Perez and Ryan Van Nostrand, both true freshmen, are competing for the open position at quarterback.

"Because we rotate quarterbacks during the game, that position will continue to battle throughout the season," said Carberry. "If one falters, the other one goes in."

Perez, who started in Week Two after splitting time with Van Nostrand in Week One, said having the competition pushes him to perform at a higher level. He threw for 169 yards with one touchdown in the 26-0 victory over Mesa.

The running back position was blown wide-open with an injury to preseason All-American Aaron Harris, sidelined with a shoulder injury. There is no timetable for his return.

Carberry said the injury is unfortunate, but the team must move on with or without their record-setting running back. "There is a book on our shelf at home that says ‘next man up,'" said Carberry. "That's football."

Arona Tuiafono, a freshman running back from American Samoa, has been forced to fill the large shoes of Harris. Early in his first college game Tuiafono played admirably, rushing for 80 yards on 17 carries with a crucial fourth quarter touchdown against Palomar.

Linebacker Tutogi also saw time at running back. In the second quarter against Mesa, Carberry called for the Rambo formation. Tutogi, who lined up behind fellow linebacker Iapala, got the ball in a critical fourth down situation. The all-purpose talent burst through the Mesa defense, scoring from 42-yards out.

Tutogi and Iapala said the formation was in their playbook, but did not expect to see it this early in the season.

"We take the 11 biggest, meanest guys we can find and put them all on the same team," said Carberry. "We teach them one or two simple plays and try to get a yard."

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Dolphins Sign G Ray Feinga

2010-09-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Miami Dolphins have signed guard Ray Feinga. The 6-4, 337-pound Feinga finished the 2009 NFL season as a member of Miami’s practice squad and was re-signed on January 5, 2010.

He was released by the Dolphins on July 30, 2010, re-signed on August 12, 2010 and was waived again on September 4, 2010 before joining the team’s practice squad. A four-year letter winner at Brigham Young, Feinga started 35 games for the Cougars along the offensive line. Originally signed as an undrafted college free agent by the St. Louis Rams following the 2009 NFL Draft, he has also spent time in 2009 with the San Diego Chargers during training camp.

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Irish Want More From Te'o

2010-09-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

The lessons learned have become more abstract, the critiques of his game more nuanced.

That's the aftermath of Manti Te'o's 21-tackle performance last weekend, the fifth-most stops in a game by a Notre Dame player ever.

To call the sophomore a finished product ignores the fact he's at the center of a defense on pace to smash last year's all-time high mark for yardage conceded. But to tag Te'o as anything but a revelation undersells just how good the former five-star recruit has been.

Te'o leads the nation with 54 total tackles. That puts him on pace for 162 stops in a 12-game season and would make him the most productive sophomore in Irish history. He's 20 tackles ahead of runner-up Harrison Smith, a sign that at least Notre Dame won't have a safety leading the team in stops for a third straight year.

But consider Bob Diaco immune to Manti Mania.

"He's playing good," said the Irish defensive coordinator. "He's making mistakes that need to get corrected.

He's got a long way to go. You can see how some of the things that he's doing in the game create a problem ? even with as productive as he was."

Diaco pointed to plays only a coordinator would notice, Te'o taking a misstep at the snap that sends the running back in the direction opposite Notre Dame's play call intended. Ask Te'o about his mistakes and he went small picture, pointing to his facemask penalty in the fourth quarter with the Stanford game out of hand.

Inside the Irish red zone Te'o latched on to running back Stepfan Taylor's grill, dragging him down. After the tackle Te'o looked over at the officials, making the kind of eye contact that guilty parties do.

"I shouldn't have looked at him, because right when I looked at him, he looked at me and he pulled his flag," Te'o said. "I was like, dang it, you got me. So I know now not to look at the ref when I accidentally grab a facemask."

Actually, Brian Kelly wants more facemask grabbing by Te'o, just of Notre Dame's other players. If somebody can bring the Irish defense along for the rise, it's the guy who's supposed to lead the team in tackles anyway. And for Notre Dame's it's a long, long rise considering the Irish rank among college football's dregs in most categories.

Kelly said he'll be pushing Te'o forward as an example of what he wants not just in a linebacker, but in a player. Te'o said he's willing to take on a new role if necessary, which doesn't mean he's exactly jumping at it.

"We always look at the grading of (players) relative to can they influence others around them?" Kelly said. "I think he's starting to get to that point where if his play is as consistent as it is, he then starts to influence others. That's a dynamic place to be."

While Kelly and Diaco insisted Te'o dropping running backs by the dozen is a good thing and not a commentary on Notre Dame's others defenders, balance isn't a bad thing either.

Last year's national leader in tackles was Carmen Messina, who played for 1-11 New Mexico. Of the nation's Top 10 tacklers last season, five played for losing teams. On the flip side, Alabama, Florida and Texas didn't have a single player among the nation's Top 100 tacklers. Cincinnati has two within a defense ranked in college football's top half in just one major category, scoring at No. 44.

Te'o's output is certainly a start, but Notre Dame needs some of its other defensive players to approach their star linebacker's production, even if matching him stop for stop is asking a too much.

"What we're trying to do more than anything else is talk about the difference between playing hard and playing with that will, that tenacity, that attitude of I'm going to just lay it on the line," Kelly said. "I think that's what we're looking for from Manti. That's what he delivered. If that gets modeled by other players, we're just better because of it."

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Newest In Clan Has Polamalu Talent, Not The Hair

2010-09-29T00:23:00.000-07:00

Maika Polamalu is a football player on the fast track to a Division I future. The Pottsgrove (Pa.) senior doubles as a bruising running back and a run-stopping defensive back and linebacker. None of that is surprising. In fact, given his surname, it might be more surprising if Polamalu wasn't a budding football star.

Still, the muscle-bound 18-year-old isn't as obvious a Polamalu as some might think. Unlike his cousin, hair-so-beautiful-it-needs-an-insurance-policy Steelers uber-presence Troy Polamalu, Maika's hair is more closely cropped. He even sported a slight mohawk at a March combine.

And unlike Troy or his uncle, USC offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu, Maika is unlikely to spend his college career at USC in sunny Southern California. Still, the latest to add to the Polamalu family's long football pedigree is all but guaranteed to spend his next four years playing college football, and he shows every inclination of living up to the family name in the process.

Polamalu is currently burning up Pennsylvania high school fields during his final season. The Falcons are 3-1, responding from their first loss at Boyerton -- the only game in which Polamalu was held to fewer than 100 yards rushing -- with a 21-10 win over Perkiomen Valley on Friday. Polamalu scored seven touchdowns on 460 yards in the Falcons' first four games, numbers which can only increase interest in the two-way starter. The senior currently has scholarship offers from Temple and Navy, but has also received significant interest from Penn State (where his father played for Joe Paterno), Pittsburgh and Michigan State, among other schools.

When the Falcons star isn't on the field, he's probably in a classroom somewhere. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pottsgrove student athlete is taking a full five classes at the Montgomery County Community College branch in Pottstown. Already sporting a cumulative average of 91, Polamalu is likely to face little problem finishing his high school coursework in December so he can enroll in his chosen school in January for the spring semester and preseason practices. While that standardized "grayshirt" path might not be recommended for all student athletes, Pottsgrove's head football coach doesn't foresee any problems for Polamalu.

"He's a tremendous student," Pottsgrove coach Rick Pennypacker told the Inquirer. "He's a tremendous kid, and I can't say enough good things about the kid."

Regardless of where Maika heads next, his NFL cousin will be rooting for him.

"I never felt pressure because I have uncles and cousins that played at pretty elite levels of college,"

Troy Polamalu told Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It all depends on the parenting. Some parents can put a whole lot of pressure on [their children], and some don't. His parents definitely don't do that."

"It's awesome," the elder Polamalu told Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV. "It is a younger generation of cousins that are starting to come up, so him along with a few other cousins, it's gonna be pretty cool to watch."

Considering the fact that Pittsburgh has recruited the younger Polamalu, it's possible there could be multiple Polamalus keeping an eye on defensive backfields in Heinz Field in the future. Not that there will be any trouble telling the two apart. The hair takes care of that.

"People always ask me why I don't have that kind of hair, and what happened," Maika Polamalu told the Inquirer. "My dad was one of the only few out of his brothers and sisters not to have thick, curly hair. So then, when I'm only half-Samoan, I'm definitely not going to get it."

Luckily for Maika, the hair is a less important familial trait than football aptitude. Though it might only be slightly less valuable, if you ask Head & Shoulders.

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Troy Polamalu and American Samoa - Message to the Players

2010-09-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

This is Troy Polamalu's personal message to the football players of American Samoa. This was recorded on August 16, 2010 and was shown in American Samoa when we delivered the Nike gear to the players. It was rebroadcast on local TV and radio.

Video courtesy of "Troyfortythree"

Family Ties Bond Misi

2010-09-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Dolphins rookie and assistant strength coach Dave Puloka are third cousins

They had no idea of their connection. Not a single clue.

Not before the NFL Draft, when the Miami Dolphins were preparing to take Koa Misi in the second round as Jason Taylor's successor.

Not during rookie minicamp, when the Utah product showed up and began in earnest the process of reshaping his body to outside linebacker standards in a 3-4 NFL defense.

It was only after Misi returned from a celebratory dinner back in Utah with some distant relatives he'd barely even met that Dave Puloka connected the dots.
Puloka, in his third season as the Dolphins' assistant strength and conditioning coach, was working the rookie hard in the weight room during OTA's when Misi casually mentioned they were related.

"My family said they know you," Misi said.

"Oh, really," replied Puloka, also of Tongan extraction. "Who's your family?"

As soon as Misi said the name "Lavulo," Puloka knew. He checked out this unknown branch of the family tree with his cousin Lisa Lavulo, who confirmed it from Los Angeles.

"This is a couple of generations, so the exact connection, we're not entirely sure," Puloka says. "It's a little confusing."

Sione Misi, Koa's father, says they are basically third cousins.

As best they can establish, the connection dates back to Melenaite Misi, Koa's 67-year-old paternal grandmother, and Latu Puloka, the coach's late grandfather.

The Lavulo branch traces back to Ha'apai, one of the smaller islands in the South Pacific chain of 148 tiny land masses – "depending on high tide/low tide," Puloka says —that make up Tonga.

If there are 100,000 residents of Tonga as a whole, there might be no more than 5,000 on Ha'apai. And now two men with roots on that island are working for the same NFL team.

What are the odds?

"It's been weird to find that out," says Misi, who grew up in Santa Rosa, Calif., while Puloka, 31, spent part of his childhood on the island.

Not that it buys Misi any quarter when it comes to conditioning.

"I don't give him any special treatment or anything," Puloka says. "If anything I might be harder on him."

Their connection does lead to some zingers in between squats.

"I joke with him a little bit," says Puloka, who has worked under head strength coach Evan Marcus the past six years. "I'll say, 'If you slack off, I might call up your grandmother and tell on you.' "

Keeping weight on has been the issue for Misi, who was drafted at 244 pounds and has since packed on about 10 pounds of muscle with Puloka's help.

"He's good," Misi says. "Both the strength coaches will push you to your limits and make sure you're doing the right thing. I talk to Dave about eating right."

Seeing Misi now, Puloka can recognize the same family traits that helped him play defensive end at Holy Cross and attend Bengals training camp as an undrafted free agent in 2001.

"Certainly he's a high-motor guy," Puloka says. "His work ethic is tremendous. I'd like to think that runs in the family."

Misi isn't even the only Tongan on the Dolphins. Offensive guard Ray Feinga, on the practice squad, has Tongan roots as well. Fellow outside linebacker Ikaika Alama-Francis is Hawaiian, and nose tackle Paul Soliai is Samoan.

"We've got a Polynesian contingent here," Puloka says. "I kind of talk up the Tongans a little bit. I told Ray he's got some standards to live up to."

Misi, with a sack and a fumble recovery for a touchdown through his first two games, is certainly meeting those standards.

His third cousin couldn't be more proud. Same for the whole Lavulo wing of the family Misi never knew.

"You have to understand the cultural aspects of it," Puloka says. "Even in Tonga, there's no distinction between brother and cousin. It's one and the same. You take care of everybody."

Especially the rookies.

"You hear about the expression, 'You're raised by the town' or 'It takes a village,' well, it really does,." Puloka says. "It's a huge community. If you're related, whether you're second cousin, third cousin, it really doesn't matter. In that culture you're considered brother, sister, very close sibling."

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Tony Moeaki, Kansas City's New Favorite Target

2010-09-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel ended the 31-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers with 250 passing yards and three touchdowns.

One of those scores was to his new favorite target, TE Tony Moeaki.

In the third quarter, the Chiefs were facing a critical third-and-5 as they were hanging onto a 17-3 lead over the 49ers.

"Tony was running down the field with the mike backer beneath him and I was thinking 'I have to give him a shot in the back of the end zone for him or nobody' and it just worked out for everybody," Matt Cassel told Soren Petro on 810 WHB Monday afternoon.

Moeaki, who was running a post in the end zone, had a step on the defender and Cassel put the ball in the one spot where Moeaki could catch it and the defender could not as Moeaki leaped in the air, stretched his hand out and came down with the one-handed grab.

"I thought it was phenomenal," Cassel said. "It makes my life easier when you can throw the ball up and guys make plays like that. Part of my job is to let those guys go up and make those kind of plays because they do such an outstanding job of it."

I gotta admit...the pass was pretty spot-on. Cassel, who was high with several throws in the first half, put the ball right where it needed to be.

"I make that catch every day in practice as I'm warming up," Cassel said to Petro laughing.

The former tight end hasn't caught a pass since his Carson Palmer was a quarterback at USC so you know he was joking with that last line.

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Gouveia-Winslow Gets Some Redemption For Virginia Tech

2010-09-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

It was a game to remember for the entire Virginia Tech defense, which posted its first shutout since 2006 in Saturday's 19-0 win over Boston College, but there's one Hokies linebacker who likely feels a lot better than the rest of his teammates.

Linebacker Jeron Gouveia-Winslow, an Ashburn native, got the first interception of his career in the third quarter, a turnover that ultimately forced Eagles Coach Frank Spaziani to bench his quarterback, sophomore Dave Shinskie.

It was just one week ago that Gouveia-Winslow, Virginia Tech's starting whip linebacker to begin the season, saw his playing time drop dramatically after a poor performance in the Hokies' shocking upset loss against James Madison. He played just nine defensive snaps in Virginia Tech's 49-27 win over East Carolina.

Then in the second quarter Saturday, Gouveia-Winslow was beaten badly on a play action fake that resulted in a 27-yard completion to Boston College wide receiver Clyde Lee.

"The interception definitely brought my spirits up and got me through the second half," Gouveia-Winslow said. "Obviously after the JMU game, my performance wasn't what it should be ... but I never really got down. I took it as more momentum to get better."

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Masoli, Ole Miss Cruise Past Fresno State

2010-09-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah Masoli and the Ole Miss Rebels got back on track Saturday.

Masoli broke a 56-yard run in the first quarter and otherwise was quietly efficient as Mississippi downed visiting Fresno State 55-38.

Masoli rushed for 59 yards on eight attempts. He completed 8 of 12 passes for 153 yards, for two touchdowns and with one interception in another starting role. His TD passes covered 30 and 4 yards at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Ole Miss improved to 2-2. Fresno State is 2-1.

The Rebels had 578 yards and built a 41-10 lead by early in the third quarter, after scoring on six of seven possessions.

Masoli's team will be at home next Saturday, Oct. 2 verus Kentucky.

The following three Saturdays are doozies for Ole Miss, though – at No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 16, at Arkansas on Oct. 23 and Auburn at Oxford on Oct. 30.

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USC's Stanley Havili Takes On Bigger Role

2010-09-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

After seldom getting the ball in USC's first three games, senior fullback Stanley Havili took on a big role in the No. 20 Trojans' 50-16 victory Saturday over Washington State.

On USC's first offensive play, Havili erased a 7-0 deficit by taking a handoff and breaking multiple tackles en route to a 59-yard touchdown. He also scored the Trojans' final touchdown on a 22-yard pass from backup quarterback Mitch Mustain.

Havili, who had a combined six touches against Hawaii, Virginia and Minnesota, rushed four times for 80 yards and caught five passes for 107 yards against the Cougars.

"It feels really good to touch the ball," he said.

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Ton of Tackles, Little Else For Te'o

2010-09-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Manti Te’o talked about his love of the game Saturday night, all the while trying to hide how much his heart was breaking.

The sophomore from Laie, Hawaii, had just recorded a career-high 21 tackles in a 37-14 deflating courtesy of No. 16 Stanford, Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.

It was the most tackles by an Irish player since safety Chinedum Ndukwe collected 22 in a win at Air Force four seasons ago. Clearly, Te’o took no solace in his personal quantum leap forward.

“It doesn’t matter if you have 100 tackles,” Te’o said. “If you don’t win the game, it doesn’t mean anything.”

Notre Dame’s defense held the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense to 19 points until midway through the fourth quarter, and Te’o was a big reason.

“He played with a will today,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said of his 6-foot-2, 245-pound middle linebacker.

“He had a look on his face, a toughness to him that he hasn't displayed since he's been a player here at Notre Dame. Today is one of those watershed moments for a defensive player that we can model.”

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Fono Commends Troy Polamalu For $100K Football Donation

2010-09-24T00:34:00.000-07:00

As a demonstration of their gratitude, all seven high schools assembled at the Veterans Field, wearing their new uniforms. Once again, the whole group burst into song. It was amazing.

A Siva Tau dance by Marist High School on American Samoa. They performed it for us when we delivered the Nike gear to their school on behalf of Troy Polamalu. These kids have great heart.

At the end of our formal presentation of the Nike equipment from Troy Polamalu, the Director of Education and the Lt. Governor of American Samoa led the assembled group in two beautiful songs. Many of the Team Polamalu members were deeply moved by this tradition.

Deutsch Nu'uelua Pu'u, one of Troy's fans on facebook, tells us about the lyrics and meaning of the songs:

Ua fa'afetai ua fa'afetai
ua malie mata e va'ai
ua tasi lava oe
...ua tasi lava oe
i lo'u nei fa'amoemoe

We are thankful, very thankful
we are pleased by what we see
your are the one
you are the one
That we have been praying God Blessed

Note***
This song is a direct "thank you" from the players and all parties involved. The old song is a story of how grateful everyone is of the things this Son of Samoa has done for his Home.

second songs says:

Ua so'ona olioli nei
lo'u loto ia Iesu
ua ia fa'aola ia te a'u
O la'u lea pese fou

I am so very happy
My soul rejoices you Jesus
you saved me
this is the new song that i sing

Pese (Pese, Pese)
Aleluia (Aleluia)
O le La (O lou agaga oe)
Iesu o le fa'aola mai
ua 'ou 'oli'oli ai

Singing (singing, singing)
Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Your like the sun (you're the light of my life)
Jesus you have saved me
this is the new song that i sing

Note***

The first Song was a "Thank You" song to Troy and team Nike, The second song was to God for blessing Samoa through the hands of one of his own Children.

I must imply that Samoa is a very Christian based land. In Samoa you will not be able to go five minutes in any direction and not see a Church. Hence Polamalu's Christian Background being as strong as it is. All businesses are closed on Sundays at least until Church is complete. It is not a Law it is respect the Samoan People have for God. Samoa is a state where Religion and State ARE NOT DIVIDED! The motto for the American Samoa Government is "Samoa Muamua Le Atua" (Samoa God is first) And for the neighboring Island of Independent Samoa theyre motto is Fa'avae i le Atua Samoa (God be the Foundation of Samoa).

Courtesy of "Troyfortythree's" for the Youtube footage!

Professional football player Troy Polamalu, whose long curly hair has been insured for $1 million has been commended by the Fono for his contribution to local athletic development through his contribution of $100,000 worth of football equipment.

Last month the football gear was presented to Lt. Gov. Faoa A. Sunia, who was accompanied by Education Department director Dr. Claire Poumele. It was made by Nike Sports Marketing Manager Forrest Sherman on behalf of Polamalu, who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For his generous contribution, a House Concurrent Resolution was approved this week by the Fono conveying sincere gratitude and appreciation to Polamalu, who the resolution says “is a household name in homes across the United States and American Samoa, especially those homes which enjoy...football.”

Original sponsors of the resolution are Manu’a lawmakers, House Vice Speaker Laolagi F.S. and Reps. Fetu Feui Jr. and Talia Fa’afetai Iaulualo. Later the House amended the resolution to include all members of the House as co-sponsors.

According to the resolution the name ‘Troy’ was chosen by his modest mother Suila ‘Sue” Polamalu-Fiame of Ta’u, Manu’a, “for her youngest son, who mirrors his mother’s modesty as an adult.”

The resolution outlines personal information about the now 29-year old NFL player, who was born in Garden Grove, Calif. and his mother raised Troy and his brother and sisters on her own. When Troy was nine years old, his mother took him and his siblings to visit her brother in Oregon.

“Troy truly enjoyed the town of Winston where his uncle Salu lived. It was a small community of people who knew each other well,” the lawmakers said in the resolution.

It also says that Troy’s mother and his uncles — former Sen. Fa’amausili Pola and Salu Polamalu — were instrumental in Troy’s “rise to fame.”

“Together they nurtured, encouraged and pushed him to utilize his God-given talents with humbleness and hard work,” according to the resolution, that adds Troy’s athletic talents began to exhibit in school where he was outstanding in baseball, basketball, and football.

Upon graduating from high school in 1998, Troy entered the University of Southern California and in hopes of learning more about his Samoan culture, he joined Polynesian clubs on campus.

The resolution outline several information during his football career at USC, where he “redshirted” his Freshman year and was a substitute safety and linebacker the following season.

Some of his football achievements at USC includes having been voted team captain; earned First Team All-Pac 10 Honors; named a 1st Team All American. He led his teammates with the most tackles since 1986, named USC’s first All-America’s Safety and voted the team’s Most Valuable Player.

“Troy graduated from USC, leaving a legacy of 278 tackles, 6 interceptions, 13 pass deflections and 4 blocked punt,” the measure says.

In his professional football career, Troy began in 2003 with the Steelers and his “diligent hard work with the Steelers won him two Super Bowl Championship in 2006 and 2009” and he’s been named to five Pro Bowls as well, according to the resolution.

It also noted the important and useful donation of over $100,000 worth of football equipment through his association with Nike which was shipped to the territory for local high school football players and coaches.

“The NFL-quality of the equipment has instilled a sense of pride in the athletes and Troy’s inspirational message positively boosted their morale for the entire season,” according to the Manu’a lawmakers.

“...the encouragement of those who traveled thousands of miles to present the equipment demonstrates the confidence that Troy and many others have that our children are destined for great futures if they work hard, remembering their Samoan heritage and not just themselves,” the lawmakers observed.

“The people of American Samoa commend and congratulate you, Troy, on your amazing accomplishments during your young life,” the approved resolution states. “You, along with Samoan athletes of the same NFL caliber, have continually brought your Samoan people to center stage.”

“...the Legislature of American Samoa, for itself and on behalf of the people...of American Samoa, expresses its gratitude and appreciation to you Troy Polamalu for your generosity,” the resolution concludes.

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Meet Sione Pouha of the New York Jets Defensive Line

2010-09-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Jets are not in panic mode after losing their Pro Bowl nosetackle, and part of that is because of the performance last year of sixth year defense lineman Sione Pouha.

Pouha got the start alongside Jenkins, recovering two fumbles in the first quarter against the Ravens.

He filled it admirably for Jenkins last year, allowing the Jets defense to keep on rolling after losing their big man in the middle. Now that Jenkins is lost for the entire season and not just the final 3 months, it puts even more pressure on Pouha and Mike DeVito to step up.

Not only did Pouha play well for a replacement player, he was far better than anyone could’ve expected from him in 2009. After not doing much since being drafted in the third round out of Utah in 2005, Pouha was outstanding as a run stuffer in Rex Ryan’s system.

According to ProFootballFocus, one of the great new-age football sites on the web, in 2009 Sione Pouha was the top-ranked run-stuffing tackle in all of football, accounting for 32 defensive stops, making the Jets run defense as tough as ever even without big Kris Jenkins.

Meanwhile, former undrafted free agent defensive end Mike DeVito was equally tremendous, dominating at the line of scrimmage both against the run and as a pass rusher. Also noted in that article was DeVito’s strong performance in the playoffs last year.

This year, Pouha and DeVito will be front and center as they take over for Kris Jenkins and Marques Douglas, a former Rex Ryan guy with the Ravens who played last year for the Jets and was recently released by the Dolphins.

Pouha is well liked in the locker room, as this fantastic piece by the NJ Star Ledger’s Jenny Vrentas reveals. Vrentas, always reliable for high-quality Jets stories, shined a light on the massive Pouha in this recent piece, as the big man has made the transition from potential roster fodder to indispensable cog in the NFL’s best defense.

Pouha, a sixth-year defensive lineman, gives everything he has on the field: willingly taking on double teams, knowing each position along the line, happily flying under the radar — and now, for the second straight season, helping to fill the void left by nose tackle Kris Jenkins.“Sione is an outstanding player in his own right, no question,” coach Rex Ryan said. “He’s basically coming into his own.”

The 6’3, 325 pound Pouha, (pronounced see-oh-nee bo-oo-ha) is hard to miss, but he was certainly a late bloomer in the NFL. Pouha is a devout Mormon who spent two years on a mission after high school, so he did not play college football at Utah until he was 22 years old.

Now he’s 31 years old, only in his sixth season in the NFL, so he does not have the wear and tear that most 31-year-olds have, which is lucky for the Jets, as he’s still a young guy football-wise.

Nobody around the league really knew who he was when he came in to replace Jenkins last year. He was just a journeyman, like Mike DeVito, before the league started to take notice that these two guys are for real.

“I like it that way,” Pouha said. “I like just being the guy that just comes in, doing my job. You can catch people by surprise.”

I don’t think Pouha will catching too many more people by surprise anymore, especially as the 2010 season goes on.

Said defensive line coach Mark Carrier, “You can just tell he’s at that point in his career where he’s ready to be a true dominant player in this defense.”

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Polamalu Went On 'Quest To Find The Truth'

2010-09-20T01:13:00.000-07:00

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said his quest for religious guidance was an attempt to find true meaning in his life.

"I wasn't satisfied with what my idea of faith was," said Polamalu, 29, who said he felt blessed to be exposed to Catholic, Mormon and Protestant churches as a child in Oregon. "I went to church. Some days I would feel the music, I'd feel the sermon; some days I wouldn't. Sometimes, I would be crying. Sometimes, I would be dead and bored.

"That emotional experience was a very shallow experience. I wanted something that would touch my heart, not my emotions."

Polamalu started reading about religions and their history. He met with monks, even finding a Buddhist who lived in the desert in California.

"I was on a quest to find the truth," he said.

He chose Greek Orthodox and was baptized four years ago.

"The only church that I can say really never swayed was the Orthodox church," he said.

Polamalu found the truth on Mount Athos, a peninsula in Greece where he spent four days living with monks in a monastery.

Enormous, old castles dot the seashores and mountain slopes of Greece, and male monks — no women are permitted on the peninsula — live a life of confinement, prayer, asceticism and contemplation. Many monks live in caves, as they have for thousands of years.

"You're talking 1,500 years of tradition that has been passed down and unblemished," said Polamalu, who acquired a small, wooden cross on Mt. Athos that he wears around his neck at all times.

Polamalu is almost insulted when someone expresses amazement at how seriously he embraces his faith.

"We're talking about faith. We're talking about God," he said. "How can you not take that seriously? We're talking about the meaning of life, really."

Polamalu is careful not to push his beliefs onto others.

"It can lead to resentment, and that is not what you want," he said. "There is also a sense of arrogance sometimes when people are really hearty, evangelizers, and that is opposite of what faith is. Like, 'I know this better than you.' There are a lot of pitfalls to that."

Asked if it's proper to pray for victory or a game free of injury, Polamalu said: "That's for God to judge."

But he adds: "It's not about winning games. It's about winning your soul."

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Islanders Big Factor For Team

2010-09-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

The islanders on Sartoris Field after the Lancers defeated Glendale Community College on Sept. 4. Though they come from Utah, Hawaii and the Samoan Islands, the Islanders on the PCC football team consider each other family.

PCC football is once again playing another season of football with the help and addition of the Islanders.

This is what the Polynesian players on the team call themselves.

The Islanders come from areas of Hawaii, the American Samoa Islands and even Utah.

The group already has about 15 returning Islander sophomores and about 20 new freshman Islanders that have joined the team.

Sophomore Penieli Faasao from Pago Pago, American Samoa is one of the returning Islanders already on the squad this football season with the new freshmen Islanders who have joined him.

"As soon as they graduated high school, they started arriving the first four weeks of summer," said Faasao.

"What we can bring to the team is family and heart," said Faasao.

"We are going to try to make the team as one, and not separate."

Most of the Islanders start playing rugby by the time they are in kindergarten, but are not introduced to football until they enter high school.

"Some of us are first timers playing football," said Faasao.

Lack of opportunity on the Islands is one reason they decided to come to PCC.

"Some of us come for a better education and to pursue dreams and more goals, but it's also all about talent," said Faasao.

Freshman Keali Latseli from Oahu Hawaii was one of the first Islanders to start training with the team when he arrived earlier in the summer after staying with his brother in Utah.

"We push each other and make sure that nobody quits so we finish what we started," said Latseli.

Manako Tuifua is another sophomore who trained for the upcoming PCC football season.

"I'm always ready," said Tuifua. "I was born ready."

Tuifua also played rugby before giving football a chance. He was even on the Kailua, Hawaii state rugby team before coming to play football at PCC.

The Islanders will try to help PCC get a championship, something some of their Islander friends know first hand while playing football for PCC's rival school, Mt. SAC.

Mt. SAC will start the season as the defending state champions.

"[The Islanders] just want everyone to have an experience of winning a championship," said Faasao.

It's one thing Tuifua knows first hand. He was a state champion for judo at Kailua High School.

Tuifua was on the wrestling team and has hopes of making it to a Division 1 school to play football.

If that doesn't work out, Tuifua is also thinking about going to a Division 3 school to play rugby.

He may even join a rugby league in Riverside.

But Tuifua said his first priority is playing his sophomore season at PCC with his Islander friends and family.

"Every Polynesian considers each other family," said Faasao. " If you are Polynesian, you are family."

Of course there is one thing the Islanders miss from back home.

"We just need a nice clean beach to go to," said Faasao.

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Across the Nation: Tracking Hawaii's Athletes

2010-09-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

Manti Te'o

» Notre Dame sophomore linebacker Manti Te'o (Punahou '09) had a team-high 13 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in a 28-24 loss to Michigan on Saturday.

B.J. Beatty

Aaron Tipoti

Michael Sipili

» Colorado linebacker Michael Sipili (Damien '06) finished with five tackles, including 1 1/2 for loss, and B.J. Beatty (Kahuku '06) had two tackles, including half a sack, in a 52-7 loss to California on Saturday. Defensive lineman Aaron Tipoti (Word of Life '08) recorded a tackle for the Golden Bears.

Kama Bailey

Jojo Dickson

Robert Siavii

» Idaho junior linebacker Robert Siavii (Leilehua '08) had eight tackles, three forced fumbles, two tackles for loss and a sack in a 38-17 loss to Nebraska on Saturday. Senior Jojo Dickson (Baldwin '07) had seven tackles and running back Kama Bailey (Damien '08) had five carries for 20 yards and two receptions for six yards in the loss.

Lolomana Mikaele

Bryson Beirne

» Arizona sophomore quarterback Bryson Beirne (Mid-Pacific '07) completed all five passes for 33 yards and a touchdown in a 52-6 win over The Citadel on Saturday. Senior defensive tackle Lolomana Mikaele (Damien '06) added five tackles for the Wildcats.

Semisi Tokolahi

» Washington sophomore defensive tackle Semisi Tokolahi (Hilo '09) had two tackles, including one for loss, and a forced fumble in a 41-20 win over Syracuse on Saturday. Safety Taz Stevenson (Mililani '10) recorded his first collegiate tackle on special teams for the Huskies.

Jeremiah Masoli

» Mississippi senior quarterback Jeremiah Masoli (Saint Louis '06) finished 14-for-20 for 281 yards and a touchdown and ran for 27 yards and another score in a 27-13 win over Tulane on Saturday.

Sam Fehoko

» Texas Tech defensive end Scott Smith (Saint Louis '07) had three tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a 52-17 win over New Mexico. Sam Fehoko (Farrington '07) also had a tackle for Texas Tech.

Adam Sagapolutele-White

Cameron Higgins

» Weber State senior quarterback Cameron Higgins (Saint Louis '06) finished 33-for-54 for 340 yards and four touchdowns in a 50-47 four-overtime win over Northern Colorado on Saturday. Adam Sagapolutele-White (Saint Louis '09) added nine tackles for the Wildcats. Sophomore kicker Mason Puckett (Leilehua '09) was 5-for-5 on extra points and made field goals of 19 and 24 yards for the Bears, but missed a 42-yard field goal that would have sent the game into a fifth overtime.

» Pacific Lutheran senior Kyle Whitford (Punahou '07) caught the game-winning 9-yard touchdown pass to give the Lutes a 27-20 victory over Hamline (Minn.) on Saturday. Freshman Sean McFadden (Punahou '10) had 11 tackles and senior defensive back Vance Louie (Hilo '07) chipped in with nine tackles and a pass breakup for the Lutes.

» Mayville (N.D.) State freshman kicker Tyler Yamanouchi (Pearl City '10) was 4-for-4 on extra-point tries and kicked a 45-yard field goal in a 31-0 victory over Trinity Bible College on Saturday.

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