Joe Salave'a

Joe Salave'a

Joe Salave'a
Current position
Title	Assistant head coach & defensive line coach
Team	Oregon Ducks
Conference	Pac-12
Biographical details
Born	(1975-03-23) March 23, 1975 Leone, American Samoa
Playing career
1994–1997	Arizona
1998–2001	Tennessee Oilers/Titans
2003	Baltimore Ravens
2003	San Diego Chargers
2004–2006	Washington Redskins
Position(s)	Defensive tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2008–2009	San Jose State (DL)
2011	Arizona (DL)
2012–2016	Washington State (AHC/DL)
2017–present	Oregon (AHC/DL)

Joe Fagaofe Salave'a (/sɑːləˈveɪ.ə/; born March 23, 1975) is an American football coach, currently serving as Defensive Line coach at the University of Oregon. He is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League. Standing 6'5" and 317 pounds, his primary position was defensive tackle.

Early life

Salave'a moved to Oceanside, California near San Diego, in 1989, and graduated from Oceanside High School.

College career

Salave'a attended and played college football at the University of Arizona. In football, he was a three-year starter and a two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection.

Professional career

He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the 1998 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons with Tennessee and one with the San Diego Chargers, before being signed by the Washington Redskins. In 1999, the Titans made it to Super Bowl XXXIV in which Salave'a appeared as a substitute, however they lost to the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams. Playing primarily as a backup, Salave'a had a breakthrough year in 2004, registering 30 tackles and two sacks for the second-ranked Redskins defense. In 2005, he started 13 games and had 50 tackles, a half-sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, helping to lead the Redskins to their first playoff appearance of the decade.

Salave'a was released by the Redskins on August 28, 2007.

College coaching career

Salave'a was named a defensive assistant coach at San Jose State University by his former coach at the University of Arizona, Dick Tomey in April 2008, where he coached for two seasons. After not working during the 2010 season, he was named Defensive Line coach at the University of Arizona on December 16, 2010. When Rich Rodriguez took over as head coach at Arizona for the 2012 season, Salave'a was not retained. Salave'a then joined coach Mike Leach at Washington State University to coach defensive line where he later was promoted to defensive line and assistant head coach. In January 2017, Salave'a was hired as the defensive line and assistant head coach at the University of Oregon.

Personal

Salave'a's older brother, Okland Salave'a, played football at Colorado from 1987–1989. Salave'a also has his own foundation—the Joe Salave'a foundation.