Tuesday, October 30, 2001
Tanuvasa still not Just a few short weeks ago, Ma'a Tanuvasa was pushing himself to stay in shape.
done proving himself
The Super Bowl champ is out
for the year, but 9 seasons are
not enough to call it a careerBy Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.comHe was ready to go. He knew the call would come sooner or later, and it finally did.
The San Diego Chargers needed someone to replace injured Jamal Williams on the defensive line.
And Tanuvasa, the nine-year NFL veteran out of Mililani High School and the University of Hawaii, was pumped up --and feeling fortunate -- to be playing again.
But then, just when things were finally looking up, he went down with a broken ankle in just his second game back -- a 27-10 victory over the Denver Broncos two weekends ago.
The injury occurred when Denver's Matt Lepsis rolled into the back of Tanuvasa's leg. Lepsis wasn't penalized on the play, but he was eventually fined $15,000 for unnecessary roughness. Tanuvasa has since had surgery to repair the broken ankle.
Tanuvasa played six seasons with the Broncos at defensive tackle and defensive end, winning a pair of Super Bowls in the 1997 and 1998 seasons before being cut prior to this season.
Having signed a one-year contract with San Diego, it remains to be seen if Tanuvasa will be back with the Chargers next year or if he'll try to hook up with another team.
He was in the process of attempting to show his top-flight ability to the rest of the Chargers and had started to build momentum by sacking Denver quarterback Brian Griese before the injury.
"I didn't think it was my time to leave the game yet," Tanuvasa said before the matchup against the Broncos. "They (the Chargers players) don't really know who I am. I'm the new guy here. I'm trying to prove myself on the field, show them that I can get the job done."
It looks like Tanuvasa will be doing much the same thing, working to show he still belongs, when next year rolls around --whether he's with the Chargers or not.
He wants to hit the 10-year mark.
"Next year will be my 10th year," he said. "That was one of my goals coming in (to the NFL). I've been blessed to make it to my ninth year.
"And hopefully I can someday come back to play at home, play at the Pro Bowl. That's something I've always wanted to do."
The 6-foot-2, 270-pound Tanuvasa was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1993 and spent his rookie year with them. In 1994, he was cut by the Rams and spent a part of the season on the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad. Because he didn't play an official game in 1994, the NFL lists his experience as just eight years.
The good fortune started in 1995 when he was picked up by the Broncos, and it continued in 1996 when he played in all 16 games for the first time.
Tanuvasa's career totals are impressive. In 82 regular-season games, he has 174 tackles, including 146 of the unassisted variety, 34 sacks and seven fumble recoveries. In nine career playoff games, he has 18 tackles with 12 solos and two sacks.
By going to San Diego, Tanuvasa was returning to the site of Super Bowl XXXII, where Denver beat the Green Bay Packers in January 1998, and the 1992 Holiday Bowl, where the University of Hawaii beat Illinois 27-17.
"When we got there for the Super Bowl, I immediately looked in the phone book for restaurants that served Polynesian food. No matter where I go, I always look in the phone book for that," he said. "And I found a place in Mission Beach."
So when Tanuvasa was picked up by the Chargers, he went back to Da Kine Plate Lunches and started to eat there five times a week.
He has fond memories of those Super Bowl victories, and he's still hungry to play for the NFL's ultimate prize.
"It's a great feeling when you're the one out of the 31 teams to take it to the highest level in football," Tanuvasa said. "When you're the Super Bowl champs and you get that ring and you're playing in front of millions and millions of people, that's when you know all the hard work you've put in has really paid off."
One of Tanuvasa's career highlights is having played with John Elway, who he always looked up to as a kid and who he describes as an "unselfish" player who took the time to show his teammates what it takes to get to the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
And in his short time with the Chargers, Tanuvasa has noticed that Doug Flutie has a "presence" with the squad, and he knows the new quarterback is a big reason why the team is 5-2 and contending for the AFC West title.
Tanuvasa was always keenly aware of and full of admiration for the players from Hawaii who made it in the NFL such as Jesse Sapolu and the Noga brothers and former Hawaii defensive back Rich Miano.
And this is his recommendation for anyone trying to make it to the NFL: "Don't let anybody tell you that you can't make it or that you have to be a certain height. Go out and prove yourself on every play, and when the opportunity comes, don't go through it half-stepping. Go all out and play your heart out."
Tanuvasa takes a certain pride in having done just that.
"I've been able to prove people wrong, people that said I was too small or I didn't have the height, or I wasn't the prototype defensive lineman."
And, if he so chooses, he can show people that the injury isn't going to keep him down and that he still belongs in the NFL next year, too.
Height: 6 feet, 2 inches Ma'a Tanuvasa
Weight: 270 pounds
Born: Nov. 6, 1970, Mililani, Hawaii
High school: Oahu Interscholastic Association All-Star in football and track at Mililani High School
College: Hawaii
Status: Currently on injured reserve after breaking his ankleSource: San Diego Chargers