Stephen Paea on Nagurski Watch List

Oregon State University junior defensive tackle Stephen Paea (pie-uh) has been selected a candidate for the 2009 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s premier defensive player by the Football Writers Association (FWAA) and the Charlotte Touchdown Club (CTC). The native Tongan is a co-team captain this year.

Paea is one of the premier tackles in the Pac-10 Conference and earned honorable mention all-league last season. He made 41 tackles for the year, including 11 for loss and five quarterback sacks. Paea started 12 of the 13 games in his first season with the Beavers after transferring from Utah’s Snow Junior College.

The 6-1 co-team captain from Vav’u in the Tongan Island chain was tabbed with the eighth best performance in a bowl game by ESPN’s Bruce Feldman after making four tackles in the Sun Bowl win over Pittsburgh last season. Paea did not play football until moving to the United States prior to his senior year in high school at Timpview in Utah, but was a standout rugby player in Tonga.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded to the nation's best defensive player by the FWAA and the CTC. The trophy has been presented since 1993 and is awarded in memory of the legendary Nagurski, an All-America lineman at Minnesota in 1927-29 and a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s. The Trophy banquet will be on Dec. 7 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.

Paea is the third Beaver to be named to an awards list, joining linebacker Keaton Kristick on the Chuck Bednarik Award list and running back Jacquizz Rodgers on the Walter Camp and Doak Walker lists.

Paea and the rest of his teammates open the season Sept. 5 at home against the Portland State Vikings. The game can be seen live on FSN Northwest beginning at 11:30 a.m. PDT.

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Give Assist on 'Iona Verbal' to Moevao & His Mom

BEAVER NATION AND recruiting fans by now have undoubtedly read the news from yesterday, broken by Scout.com's Chris Fetters, that OSU added fast chargin' DT Happy Iona to their '10 class. Iona first began flying high on the Beavs after his OSU camp experience. This week, Lyle Moevao's mom had a noteworthy impact on the 6-2, 280 pounder's decision to go black and orange.

Happy Iona and family members arrived in Corvallis on Tuesday of this week. Iona's family has been very involved in his decision making process, and in recruiting, one of the bromides is this -- the influence that moms have over a prospect's decision generally supercedes the opinions of anyone else.

With Iona on Tuesday, there was also an X Factor. Grandma had come with to Corvallis.

IONA'S GRANDMOTHER DOESN'T speak much English -- Iona himself is still learning the language.

And that's where Lyle Moevao 's mom, Shelia Alofaitoli, came up big.

"(Moevao's) mom was down there with her the whole day," said Gavin Kralik, head man at Spanaway's Bethel High. "That made her feel very, very comfortable."

IF YOU'VE GOT mom and grandma on board, it's usually just a matter of time in recruiting.

Happy and his family traveled home from OSU later that same day, slept on it, and on Wednesday Iona made his verbal commitment.

"His trip down there was top notch...The way Oregon State handled it was great, from (the OSU coaches) to Moevao's mom, it was a team effort," said Kralik.

BEAVER COACHES Mike Riley, Danny Langsdorf and d-line coach Joe Seumalo, the latter being one whom Iona formed a very tight bond with during the Beavs' camp, said Kralik, were all closely involved with his recruitment. And that included this week when the Iona clan came to Oregon State.

"The way they handled the whole thing, not pressing with his family, was outstanding," said Kralik. "From talking to Happy's family, I think Oregon State did an outstanding job of recruiting him."

IONA, SAYS FETTERS, has as high a ceiling from the '10 Evergreen State class as anyone.

"The Beavers are getting a heck of a prospect that carries with him as much upside as any player coming out of the state of Washington this year," said Fetters. "Iona is definitely one of the top players in the state of Washington, and if it wasn't for some struggles with school, I believe he would have a ton more offers at this point. His motor is always going, and even at 280 pounds he can play either inside or outside -- he is that athletic."

ON THE SUBJECT of academics and qualification, Kralik says he's very optimistic, though still cautiously so, that Iona will be on the field in Corvallis for fall camp about a year from now.

"He has a good shot at doing that, but he does still have a bit of work to do. He's got to have a great year, like he did finishing up last year," said Kralik.

Iona hadn't begun to really work on his English until just this past year and that hurt him in the classroom. But as Iona has continued to become more comfortable with the English language, his grades have skyrocketed, says Kralik, noting that he's started to get some A's.

A subject that Moevao's mom, and Iona's grandmother, no doubt discussed this past week in Corvallis.

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Lyle Moevao Resumes Throwing

Let the rivalry begin. Again.

Oregon State's Lyle Moevao, who started 11 games for the Beavers in the 2008 season, was cleared this week to begin throwing again after sitting out spring ball due to rotator cuff surgery.

Moevao's clearance will renew his rivalry with fellow senior Sean Canfield, who started two games after Moevao was injured last season, and is 7-4 overall as a starter. This spring, Canfield seemed to inch ahead in the competition as Moevao watched from the sidelines.

"I'm ready to go," said Moevao, who is 11-4 as a starter in the past two seasons. "I feel close to 100 percent, but my arm strength isn't all the way there."

Canfield said he was surprised to see Moevao out at summer workouts on Wednesday, when quarterbacks practiced routes with receivers. Canfield, who had to deal with shoulder problems of his own last season, said he could empathize with Moevao.

"I told him when this whole process started, 'There's going to be a time when you're not going to be able to do anything,'" Canfield said. "Three months out of my surgery -- around spring ball -- it was killing me to not throw a football, so I know how it feels."

Moevao agreed that sitting out got pretty boring pretty quickly.

"It was hard to sit and watch, especially in the spring when we had all those new guys who are learning our playbook," Moevao said. "But I think it was great for me to take a mental break."

After getting cleared, Moevao sent a text message to OSU offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf telling him the news. Langsdorf's advice back was the same as Canfield's: Take it slow.

"I've pretty much been hearing the same thing from everyone," Moevao said.

Moevao and Canfield both said having two healthy quarterbacks by the time Oregon State opens the season on Sept. 5 against Portland State will be crucial to success.

"It gives us more depth at the position," Moevao said. "If you look at a lot of teams in the Pac-10, the starter goes down and the back-up hasn't got a lot of playing time."

Said Canfield: "Having another guy is good, and he just helps our team chemistry."

Moevao, who was praised for his leadership last season, said he hasn't thought too much about his competition with Canfield yet.

"Right now, I'm just taking it day-to-day," Moevao said. "I'm still far away from being able to compete with him physically.

"Being able to take a few snaps (Wednesday) definitely felt good. I'm excited to get started on the program with the athletic trainers here. I've got the green light all the way."

Oregon State opens fall camp on Aug. 10.

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The 250-Pound Bruiser: Soma Vainuku

Barry Bolton of Beaverfootball.com has another entertaining piece on an Oregon State football recruit, this time 6-0, 250-pound Soma Vainuku of Eureka, Calif. - who just happens to be the cousin of former USC linebacker Rey Maualuga

Vainuku, also coveted by the Huskies, can play on both sides of the ball but is most intriguing as a running back - even though OSU def. coordinator Mark Banker might want him at LB. ... the book on Vainuku is that he moves EXTREMELY well for his size.

Vainuku said USC wants him as a fullback, UCLA as an outside LB.

A note about Lyle Moevao's return ... I would bet my house that OSU trainers are keeping a very watchful eye on QB Lyle Moevao as he begins throwing a football again following rehab from rotator cuff surgery. ... No. 3 is a very intelligent football player and he rates high in every "intangible'' measurement but he's human. There will be a temptation to push hard (same thing happened last fall with Sean Canfield) but there is nothing for Moevao to prove in July and hard as it might be, he has to be patient and take it very slowly or else he will find himself in roughly the same boat as Canfield was in 2008 - physically unable to play in a game until later in the season.

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Oregon State's Weight Room Warriors

Some weight room warriors are born. Others are made.

Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea is 298-pound freak of nature. He has only been lifting weights for three or four years -- about as long as the native of Tonga has been playing football. He estimated his max bench press this week was "525 or 530 pounds." He also squats 720 pounds.

Paea might be the nation's strongest college football player.

Beavers offensive guard Gregg Peat observed what most folks around the Pac-10 already know: Paea is about ready for his national close-up.

"He's pretty incredible," Peat said.

As for Peat, he arrived at Oregon State in 2005 as an unheralded recruit, the Beavers the only Pac-10 team to offer him a scholarship. He bench pressed about 225 pounds. According to Peat, "I was a soft 285 pounds."

Peat is now a solid 295 pounds, a team co-captain and is slated to start at guard for the second consecutive season.

Paea was born to lift weights. "He's a freak," Peat said.

Peat used weights to reinvent himself physically. "He's a guy I see working hard," Paea said. "He sets a great example for other players."

Peat now bench presses 350 pounds, squats 450 and -- most impressive -- power cleans 330. He has also dramatically increased his speed, quickness, agility and flexibility.

Oregon State almost never signs a highly rated recruiting class. Nonetheless, it has finished ranked in the top-25 three consecutive seasons.

I wonder if what happens inside the $16 million Sports Performance Center has anything to do with the unheralded Point A transforming into the nationally ranked Point B?

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