Rey Maualuga
Encyclopedia
Rey Maualuga is an American football
linebacker
for the Cincinnati Bengals
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Southern California.
, Oklahoma
, to American Samoa
n parents, Talatonu and Tina Maualuga. His father, Talatonu, was in Oklahoma serving with the United States Army
. Within a few months the family moved to Waipahu, Hawaii, near Honolulu. Financially, the family struggled in Hawaii. While in sixth grade, Maualuga started playing football because he saw the popular kids played football and carried their pads and helmets to school. Not only was Rey Maualuga passionate about football, he also had a love for attending church with his family. His family attended First Samoan Full Gospel Pentecostal Church in Waipahu and Moanalua where Rey was a member of the FSFGPC youth group. After sixth grade, his family moved to Oxnard, California
as his father pursued Pentecostal ministry. He spent his first year of high school in nearby Ventura
before moving up to Eureka
in far Northern California where his father practiced ministry.
Maualuga attended St. Bonaventure High School
in Ventura, California
where he played on a team with Lorenzo Booker
. He moved to Eureka, California
before his sophomore year where he played with future Cincinnati Bengals
wide receiver
Maurice Purify
. His team, the Eureka High School Loggers
completed their perfect 13-0 season with a North Coast Section championship at the Redwood Bowl during his junior year. That year he posted 146 tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and 1 interception. In his senior year he had 96 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions (2 for TDs), 2 fumble recoveries and 1 kickoff return for a touchdown. Eureka achieved an impressive 20-2-1 win-loss-tie record during his junior and senior seasons. Following his high school senior season, Maualuga played in the by-invitation 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
.
Pete Carroll
and linebacker coach Ken Norton Jr. Carroll's Trojans had previously developed strong linebackers such as Lofa Tatupu
and Keith Rivers
, as well as Maualuga's fellow senior teammates Brian Cushing
, Kaluka Maiava
and Clay Matthews III
, which were touted as one of the most talented linebacker corps in college football.
As a freshman in 2005, Maualuga made the Football Writers Association of America
Freshman All-American first team and Scout.com Freshman All-American first team; also he won USC's John McKay
Award (most competitive spirit). Off the field his career started with occasional spirited and reckless partying that led to an October 2005 incident where he got into a fight at a Halloween
party and was arrested for misdemeanor battery. He agreed in an arraignment diversion program that included counseling, Alcoholics Anonymous
meetings and community service resulting in the charges being dismissed. Maualuga later noted that: "You learn that you're only given a certain number of chances. If you keep going back to the same things you were doing, it shows that you don't learn from anything."
In 2006, Maualuga returned in full form and was nominated for the Butkus Award and second team All Pac-10. He made his first start in place of injured senior Oscar Lua
against Nebraska.
Maualuga was a 2007 preseason Athlon
and CBS Sportsline.com All-American and on the 2007 Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award
and Bronko Nagurski Trophy
watch lists, and was considered a top choice for the 2008 NFL Draft
. But he decided to stay for his senior year in college.
At the end of the 2007 regular season, Maualuga was selected to the All-Pacific 10 Conference first team for the second year in a row by league coaches. He was the defensive player-of-the-game in the 2008 Rose Bowl
.
Maualuga wears jersey number 58, which was previously worn by former Trojan linebacker and NFL Pro Bowl
player Lofa Tatupu
, who, like Maualuga, is also of Samoan
descent. Mindful of his heritage, Maualuga displays many bold, warrior-like Polynesian tattoos on his arms and legs. Some NFL scouts have compared Maualuga to former Trojan and NFL linebacker great Junior Seau
and former Trojan and current Pittsburgh Steelers
safety Troy Polamalu
, both of Samoan descent, for their sideline-to-sideline aggressive style of defense play, and Polamalu's shared preference for displaying long Polynesian warrior-style hair tucked under their football helmet.
In addition to being named the 2008 winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award
, Maualuga was named to the 2008 All-American
team by the AP
, ESPN
, Walter Camp Football Foundation
, CBS Sportsline.com, Sporting News, Football Writers Association of America
, American Football Coaches Association
, College Football News and Rivals.com
. Maualuga was also chosen to participate in the 2009 Senior Bowl
with some of his other USC teammates.
In the lead up to the 2009 NFL Draft
, Maualuga was ranked as one of the top middle linebackers entering the draft, alongside Ohio State's James Laurinaitis
. USC linebackers Maualuga, Cushing and Matthews were all featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
s 2009 NFL Draft Preview magazine, as all three were regarded as potential first round selections.
. Maualuga was projected by some, and expecting, to go 16th overall to the San Diego Chargers
, who instead opted to select hybrid linebacker/defensive end Larry English
out of Northern Illinois
. After being selected, Maualuga cried as he gave thanks to his late father and said he was thankful for his opportunity as "Nothing like this was ever expected for our family." His selection came one year after the Bengals used a first-round pick to select Maualuga's college teammate, linebacker Keith Rivers
.
On December 30, 2009, Maualuga was placed on injured reserve
due to a broken ankle he suffered a week before. He finished his rookie season with 64 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles and three pass deflections in 15 games started.
. His dad died after battling brain cancer, and from at least his junior season, black eye paint under both eyes read "DAD" in silver. He has two younger brothers. Curiously, neither of his Samoan-American parents were tall.
Maualuga was arrested on January 29, 2010, on charges of drunken driving and careless driving at the Kenton County jail in Covington KY. That same day, the TMZ website published a photo purportedly showing Maulauga's arrest at the crash scene, and reported that Maualuga's blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was about double the legal limit. He was driving a Pontiac Sunfire at the time.
On February 2, 2010, Maualuga pled guilty to the drunken driving charge. He was given a 7-day suspended jail sentence, two years probation, drivers' license suspension for 90 days, and fined $350. He apologized for his actions when he made his plea.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Southern California.
Early years
Maualuga was born at Reynolds Army Community Hospital in Fort SillFort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, to American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
n parents, Talatonu and Tina Maualuga. His father, Talatonu, was in Oklahoma serving with the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Within a few months the family moved to Waipahu, Hawaii, near Honolulu. Financially, the family struggled in Hawaii. While in sixth grade, Maualuga started playing football because he saw the popular kids played football and carried their pads and helmets to school. Not only was Rey Maualuga passionate about football, he also had a love for attending church with his family. His family attended First Samoan Full Gospel Pentecostal Church in Waipahu and Moanalua where Rey was a member of the FSFGPC youth group. After sixth grade, his family moved to Oxnard, California
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
as his father pursued Pentecostal ministry. He spent his first year of high school in nearby Ventura
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
before moving up to Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
in far Northern California where his father practiced ministry.
Maualuga attended St. Bonaventure High School
St. Bonaventure High School
St. Bonaventure High School is a private, Catholic, co-educational secondary school in Ventura, California. It is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The school is named in honor of Bonaventure, the Patron of the Mission San Buenaventura and the City of Ventura.-Athletics:St....
in Ventura, California
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
where he played on a team with Lorenzo Booker
Lorenzo Booker
Lorenzo Booker is an American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
. He moved to Eureka, California
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
before his sophomore year where he played with future Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Maurice Purify
Maurice Purify
Maurice Purify is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
. His team, the Eureka High School Loggers
Eureka High School (California)
Eureka High School, originally Eureka Senior High School , is the public high school for the city of Eureka, California...
completed their perfect 13-0 season with a North Coast Section championship at the Redwood Bowl during his junior year. That year he posted 146 tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and 1 interception. In his senior year he had 96 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions (2 for TDs), 2 fumble recoveries and 1 kickoff return for a touchdown. Eureka achieved an impressive 20-2-1 win-loss-tie record during his junior and senior seasons. Following his high school senior season, Maualuga played in the by-invitation 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
.
High school honors
- Student Sports Junior All-American
- Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team
- PARADEParade (magazine)Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American - USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
All-USA first team - SuperPrep Elite 50
- PrepStar Top 100 Dream Team
- Student Sports Top 100
- Rivals 10
- SuperPrep All-American
- PrepStar All-American
- Tom Lemming All-American
- Scout.com All-American first team
- EA SportsEA SportsEA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
All-American second team - SuperPrep All-Farwest
- PrepStar All-West
- Long Beach Press-TelegramLong Beach Press-TelegramThe Press-Telegram is a daily newspaper published in Long Beach, California. Tracing its history to 1897, it is currently published by the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a division of newspaper conglomerate MediaNews Group, which purchased the newspaper from Knight Ridder in 1997; Ridder and Knight...
Best in the West first team - Tacoma News Tribune Western 100
- The Orange County RegisterThe Orange County RegisterThe Orange County Register is a daily newspaper published in Santa Ana, California. The Register is the flagship publication of Freedom Communications, Inc., which publishes 28 daily newspapers, 23 weekly newspapers, Coast magazine, and several related Internet sites.The Register is notable for its...
Fab 15 first team - Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team honors as a senior linebacker
- U.S. Army All-American BowlU.S. Army All-American BowlThe U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
participant
College career
Maualuga is known for his emotional intensity both on the field and off. He attended USC and played for the USC Trojan football team (2005-2008 seasons) under head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
and linebacker coach Ken Norton Jr. Carroll's Trojans had previously developed strong linebackers such as Lofa Tatupu
Lofa Tatupu
-Seattle Seahawks:Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005, in which he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104, en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history...
and Keith Rivers
Keith Rivers
Keith Rivers is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals ninth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early life:Rivers was a highly decorated letterman in football at Lake...
, as well as Maualuga's fellow senior teammates Brian Cushing
Brian Cushing
-Houston Texans:Cushing was drafted with the 15th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.He scored his first career points on October 4, 2009 when he recorded a safety against the Oakland Raiders. The safety was the first recorded by a Texan since the 2002 season.Cushing was...
, Kaluka Maiava
Kaluka Maiava
-Personal:Maiava's stepfather, Scott Mahoney, attended and played football for Kamehameha Schools and the University of Colorado as an offensive lineman. His mother, Kathryn, works for an airline, which allowed the family the ability to take free trips to the mainland during Maiava's high school...
and Clay Matthews III
Clay Matthews III
William Clay Matthews III is an American football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Packers 26th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-Early years:Matthews was born in the Los...
, which were touted as one of the most talented linebacker corps in college football.
As a freshman in 2005, Maualuga made the Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
Freshman All-American first team and Scout.com Freshman All-American first team; also he won USC's John McKay
John McKay (football coach)
John Harvey McKay was an American football player and coach. He was served as the head coach at the University of Southern California from 1960 to 1975 and of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to 1984. In 16 seasons with the USC Trojans, McKay compiled a record of 127–40–8 and...
Award (most competitive spirit). Off the field his career started with occasional spirited and reckless partying that led to an October 2005 incident where he got into a fight at a Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
party and was arrested for misdemeanor battery. He agreed in an arraignment diversion program that included counseling, Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
meetings and community service resulting in the charges being dismissed. Maualuga later noted that: "You learn that you're only given a certain number of chances. If you keep going back to the same things you were doing, it shows that you don't learn from anything."
In 2006, Maualuga returned in full form and was nominated for the Butkus Award and second team All Pac-10. He made his first start in place of injured senior Oscar Lua
Oscar Lua
Oscar Lua is former American football linebacker. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:...
against Nebraska.
Maualuga was a 2007 preseason Athlon
Athlon
Athlon is the brand name applied to a series of x86-compatible microprocessors designed and manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices . The original Athlon was the first seventh-generation x86 processor and, in a first, retained the initial performance lead it had over Intel's competing processors...
and CBS Sportsline.com All-American and on the 2007 Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
and Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
watch lists, and was considered a top choice for the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. But he decided to stay for his senior year in college.
At the end of the 2007 regular season, Maualuga was selected to the All-Pacific 10 Conference first team for the second year in a row by league coaches. He was the defensive player-of-the-game in the 2008 Rose Bowl
2008 Rose Bowl
The 2008 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, the 94th Rose Bowl Game, played on January 1, 2008 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, was a college football bowl game. The contest was televised on ABC, the 20th straight year the network aired the Rose Bowl, starting at 4:30pm EST...
.
Maualuga wears jersey number 58, which was previously worn by former Trojan linebacker and NFL Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
player Lofa Tatupu
Lofa Tatupu
-Seattle Seahawks:Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005, in which he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104, en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history...
, who, like Maualuga, is also of Samoan
Samoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
descent. Mindful of his heritage, Maualuga displays many bold, warrior-like Polynesian tattoos on his arms and legs. Some NFL scouts have compared Maualuga to former Trojan and NFL linebacker great Junior Seau
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...
and former Trojan and current Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
safety Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
, both of Samoan descent, for their sideline-to-sideline aggressive style of defense play, and Polamalu's shared preference for displaying long Polynesian warrior-style hair tucked under their football helmet.
In addition to being named the 2008 winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
, Maualuga was named to the 2008 All-American
2008 College Football All-America Team
The 2008 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American first teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports,...
team by the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, Walter Camp Football Foundation
Walter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year...
, CBS Sportsline.com, Sporting News, Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
, American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
, College Football News and Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
. Maualuga was also chosen to participate in the 2009 Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
with some of his other USC teammates.
Pre-draft
Maualuga was one of twelve graduating 2008 senior USC players, including the four senior linebackers (Cushing, Maiava, Matthews), invited to the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine.In the lead up to the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, Maualuga was ranked as one of the top middle linebackers entering the draft, alongside Ohio State's James Laurinaitis
James Laurinaitis
-St. Louis Rams:Laurinaitis was drafted in the 2nd round 35th overall by the St. Louis Rams. On July 29, 2009, he signed a four-year, $5.1 million contract. The deal contained $3.3 million guaranteed...
. USC linebackers Maualuga, Cushing and Matthews were all featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
s 2009 NFL Draft Preview magazine, as all three were regarded as potential first round selections.
Cincinnati Bengals
Despite being projected as a first round pick, Maualuga was picked in the second round by the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. Maualuga was projected by some, and expecting, to go 16th overall to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who instead opted to select hybrid linebacker/defensive end Larry English
Larry English
Larry English is an American football outside linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers 16th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft...
out of Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois Huskies football
The Northern Illinois Huskies football team represents Northern Illinois University in the Mid-American Conference of the NCAA's Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision.-History:...
. After being selected, Maualuga cried as he gave thanks to his late father and said he was thankful for his opportunity as "Nothing like this was ever expected for our family." His selection came one year after the Bengals used a first-round pick to select Maualuga's college teammate, linebacker Keith Rivers
Keith Rivers
Keith Rivers is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals ninth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early life:Rivers was a highly decorated letterman in football at Lake...
.
On December 30, 2009, Maualuga was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
due to a broken ankle he suffered a week before. He finished his rookie season with 64 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles and three pass deflections in 15 games started.
Personal
During Maualuga's freshman year he wrote "RIP" on the eye black paint under his right eye and "DAD" under his left eye in honor of his dad who died two days before the BCS National Championship Game following the 2005 season2006 Rose Bowl
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...
. His dad died after battling brain cancer, and from at least his junior season, black eye paint under both eyes read "DAD" in silver. He has two younger brothers. Curiously, neither of his Samoan-American parents were tall.
Maualuga was arrested on January 29, 2010, on charges of drunken driving and careless driving at the Kenton County jail in Covington KY. That same day, the TMZ website published a photo purportedly showing Maulauga's arrest at the crash scene, and reported that Maualuga's blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was about double the legal limit. He was driving a Pontiac Sunfire at the time.
On February 2, 2010, Maualuga pled guilty to the drunken driving charge. He was given a 7-day suspended jail sentence, two years probation, drivers' license suspension for 90 days, and fined $350. He apologized for his actions when he made his plea.