Sione Houma
| New Orleans Saints | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 21, 1994 Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Career information | |
| College: | Michigan |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Sione Houma (born June 21, 1994) is an American football fullback who plays for the New Orleans Saints.[1]
Houma was born in Utah, the son of immigrants from Tonga.[2] He grew up in Salt Lake City and played high school football at Highland, winning a state championship as a senior.[3] While in high school, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, rushed for 2,001 yards in his junior and senior years, and returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown.[4]
Houma enrolled at the University of Michigan in 2012 and played in every game for the Michigan football team from 2012 to 2014,[5] but he had not carried the ball prior to his senior season, with his playing time limited to blocking and special teams.[6] He initially gained note for introducing the haka to the Michigan football team,[7] and for his ukulele playing.[4]
As a senior in 2015, Houma gained acclaim for his tough running game, especially in short yardage situations. Coach Jim Harbaugh was so impressed with Houma that he gave him playing time at tailback. Harbaugh began referring to him as "Houuuuu-maaaa!" and noted the crowd response: "They're not booing, they're saying Houma."[8][9] Michigan's leading rusher, De'Veon Smith, referred to Houma as a "coconut head."[8] Houma rushed for 184 yards and five touchdowns during his senior year.[10] In the 2016 Citrus Bowl, Houma carried the ball a career-high nine times for 32 yards and a touchdown.[10]
References
- ^ "Sione Houma Profile". mgoblue.com. CBS Sports. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
- ^ "For Wolverines' Sione Houma, Michigan-Utah strikes a personal chord". Mlive.com. September 19, 2014.
- ^ "Ex-Highland High star won a 2010 state title alongside ex-Ute Nate Orchard". The Salt Lake Tribune. September 2, 2015.
- ^ a b Nick Baumgardner (November 11, 2015). "Michigan FB Sione Houma plays the ukulele, is as tough as a 'coconut' and is having a blast". Mlive.com.
- ^ "Sione Houma Makes Most of Second Chance". The Michigan Journal. September 22, 2015.
- ^ "Hard-headed Houma is a man of many talents". The Michigan Daily. November 11, 2015.
- ^ "U-M fullback Sione Houma adds exotic flare". Detroit Free Press. September 18, 2014.
- ^ a b Angelique S. Chengelis (November 12, 2015). "'Hou-Ma!' Harbaugh likes look, sound of UM 'coconut head'". The Detroit News.
- ^ "U-M's Jim Harbaugh a big fan of Sione 'Hoooouuuma'". Detroit Free Press. November 12, 2015.
- ^ a b "Sione Houma". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 1, 2016.