Monday, August 23, 1999
Panthers release
By Pat Bigold
Sagapolutele
Star-BulletinFormer Pac-Five and San Diego State standout Pio Sagapolutele was released over the weekend by the Carolina Panthers, less than three weeks after signing on as a free agent.
No reason was given by the club.
The 6-foot-6, 297-pound Sagapolutele, who is a ninth-year NFL defensive lineman, became a Panther on Aug. 2 after the New Orleans Saints terminated his no-option contract at the end of July.
He was competing for a job at nose tackle.
His agent, Brian Treggs, said last night that he believes Sagapolutele will be picked up soon by another NFL team.
"He has tons of experience and went to the Super Bowl with New England, so I would expect he would get picked up by somebody," said Treggs by phone from Colorado last night.
Treggs said he doubts that an elbow injury Sagapolutele suffered has anything to do with his release. The lineman passed a physical before he was signed by the Panthers.
Sagapolutele said he had bone spurs in his right elbow and it was painful for him to work out in the Panthers' training camp.
"I had to fight through the scar tissue of the injury," he said in a phone interview last week before his release.
"With the banging I do every day, I give it (elbow) no chance to rest. A lesser man wouldn't be able to do what I do. But Samoans have a high pain tolerance. We're warriors."
Treggs said that at least a portion of Sagapolutele's $425,000 salary was guaranteed by the Panthers.
Sagapolutele seemed confident that he would play somewhere in the NFL this season.
"There's a shortage of defensive linemen in the league, so if you play well, they pick you up," he said. "I'm always prepared for the next move."
Sagapolutele was drafted in the fourth round in 1991 by the Cleveland Browns. He was with them until the end of the 1995 season and then signed on with the Patriots for the 1996 season. He was with the Saints for two seasons, one of which was spent on injured reserve.
Waimanalo's Esera Tuaolo (also a ninth-year veteran), remains with Carolina. In Carolina's 20-13 win at home over Pittsburgh on Friday, Tuaolo caught some attention when he gave Steelers quarterback Mike Tomczak a concussion.
On a second half play, Tomczak rolled right, threw incomplete and was shoved so hard by Tuaolo that he went flying into the Carolina bench. He struck the bottom of the bench and became wedged beneath it. It took Tomczak a few minutes to get up, and when he did, he went wobbling into the Steelers' locker room.
In their 38-7 loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday, Arizona Cardinals running back Adrian Murrell (Leilehua/W. Virginia) carried only three times for 9 yards.
Two-time Broncos sack leader Maa Tanuvasa (Mililani/Hawaii) had three solo tackles and Viliami Maumau (St. Louis/Colorado) assisted on one tackle for Denver.
Former Rainbows kicker Jason Elam kicked a 28-yard field goal for the Broncos and five extra points. He needs to connect on his first 16 point-after attempts of the upcoming regular season to move past Eddie Murray (250) for second place all-time for consecutive points after touchdown in NFL history.
Itula Mili (Kahuku/BYU) had one reception from quarterback Jon Kitna for 6 yards in his first start at tight end for the Seattle Seahawks Friday in a 24-23 loss to San Francisco at 3Com Park.
Another Kitna pass to Mili at the San Francisco 5 was broken up by Ken Norton Jr. in the first half.
Kaipo McGuire (St. Louis/BYU) played as a sub in the Indianapolis Colts' 37-7 blowout of New Orleans, but he had no receptions.
