Toniu Fonoti
No. 71, 77, 79 | |||||
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Position: | Guard | ||||
Personal information | |||||
Born: | American Samoa | November 26, 1981||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||
Weight: | 340 lb (154 kg) | ||||
Career information | |||||
High school: | Kahuku (Kahuku, Hawaii) | ||||
College: | Nebraska | ||||
NFL draft: | 2002 / Round: 2 / Pick: 39 | ||||
Career history | |||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Toniuolevaiavea Satele Fonoti (born November 26, 1981) is a Samoan-born former player of American college and professional football who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the early 2000s. He played college football for the University of Nebraska, and earned consensus All-American honors. The San Diego Chargers picked him in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and he played professionally for the Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins of the NFL.
Early years
Fonoti was born in American Samoa but partly raised in Apia.[1] He attended El Camino High School in Oceanside, California, and played high school football for the El Camino Wildcats. He played his last two years of high school for the Kahuku Red Raiders, located on the north shore of Oahu and earned all-state 1st team honors.
College career
Fonoti attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, where he played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team from 1999 to 2001.[2] He is only the third freshman in Nebraska team history to earn playing time on the Cornhuskers' offensive line. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2000 and 2001, and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American following his 2001 junior season.[3] He was also a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award and a finalist for the Outland Trophy. During his time as a Cornhusker, he set three team records: single-game record 32 pancake blocks vs. Texas Tech (2001); single-season record of 201 pancake blocks (2001); and career record of 379 pancakes.
Professional career
2002 NFL Draft
Projected as a late first round selection, Fonoti was rated as the No. 1 offensive guard available in the 2002 NFL Draft by Sports Illustrated.[4] He was noted for "[obliterating] defenders at the line of scrimmage", and "[keeping] his feet moving in pass protection and anchors, not giving up an inch of ground".[5]
Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 3+7⁄8 in (1.93 m) |
349 lb (158 kg) |
5.49 s | 1.94 s | 3.13 s | 4.81 s | 8.12 s | 28+1⁄2 in (0.72 m) |
8 ft 1 in (2.46 m) |
32 reps | |||
All values from NFL Combine[6] |
Miami Dolphins
Fonoti signed with the Miami Dolphins on November 7, 2006.
Atlanta Falcons
Fonoti signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an unrestricted free agent on March 14, 2007, and was released on August 4, 2007.
Carolina Panthers
Fonoti signed with the Carolina Panthers on March 25, 2008, and was released on August 30, 2008.
Detroit Lions
Fonoti signed with the Detroit Lions on May 5, 2009. He was waived on August 11 when the team signed wide receiver Billy McMullen.
Personal life
Fonoti has a brother, Tauala'i, who plays football at Stanford and another younger brother, La'auli, who plays football at New Mexico State University. His sister, Dionne Fonoti, is a lecturer at the National University of Samoa.[1]
In September 2022 he was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Fuimaono Lumepa Hald (12 September 2022). "Former Samoan footballer inducted into Hall of Fame". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ Bruce Feldman. "Rock Star". ESPN The Magazine. Vol. 4, no. 24. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ 2011 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, p. 11 (2011). Retrieved June 24, 2012.
- ^ "Breakdown by Position - OG". Spots Illustrated. Archived from the original on 7 June 2002.
- ^ "Toniu Fonoti". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 2 August 2002.
- ^ "Toniu* Fonoti, DS #3 OG, Nebraska". Sports XChange. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012.
External links
- 1981 births
- Living people
- People from Oahu
- American sportspeople of Samoan descent
- All-American college football players
- American football offensive tackles
- American football offensive guards
- Atlanta Falcons players
- Carolina Panthers players
- Detroit Lions players
- Miami Dolphins players
- Minnesota Vikings players
- Nebraska Cornhuskers football players
- San Diego Chargers players
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
- Sportspeople from Oceanside, California
- Players of American football from American Samoa
- Players of American football from Hawaii
- Players of American football from California