JUCO LB Mauga-Clements is N; Update: Now a 4-Star/5.8 on Rivals

[Huskerthom]

I know you didn’t mean it this way, and I’ve read enough of your posts to know this isn’t you, but this read a little racist to me. I know it came from a good place, just remove “Samoan” and insert any other race/ethnicity and it’s going downhill fast. Just my .02

Glad we got this kid, speed like this only makes us better

I knew someone was going to claim that. So is it also racist when the Polynesian football hall of fame says it? https://www.thecoconet.tv/cocoblog/how-can-tiny-samoa-dominate-the-nfl/ how about "Now this" are they racist? https://nowthisnews.com/videos/sports/heres-how-american-somoa-became-a-big-exporter-of-nfl-talent So NFL films I guess they are racist too. http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films...-Films-Presents-Conditions-of-Samoan-football Or the Pittsburgh Gazzette which had an article that sounds pretty close to my take.

This was fa’a Samoa, or the way of Samoa: fiercely competitive but humble, team-oriented, deeply hierarchical, deferential to authority, and chock-full of boys who relish running into each other, hard. All that combined with Samoans’ high rate of military enlistment and desire to define themselves as “American” but in their own unique way:

They played not just for themselves but also for their families, villages and entire ethnicity. The result, in part, has been Samoan-born stars like Jesse Sapolu and U.S.-born stars who remained deeply connected to the culture, including Mr. Polamalu and the late Junior Seau.

I have documented on here many times that I lived in and among a large Samoan community in Oceanside CA. I used to work out with a Friend in the Corps whose name was actually Sam Samoa. My son played football with Junior Seau's nephew, his niece had a sleep over at my house. What I stated was fact not opinion. It is also the same conditions that lead Polynesians to not only dominate football but one of my other favorite sports Rugby. What I stated is well documented fact. So please take your accusations elsewhere.

 

[Twelve String]

Any guesses if Eteva is ready to contribute in '20, or do you expect a red-shirt?

There is an article on 247 this morning that I can't link here because it's a premium/pay only item, but it suggests that Mauga has pretty good instincts but has a tendency to play outside of the scheme and still needs to add weight. The key phrase for me in this article is that he "adds depth" . To me, that means he has a ways to go before he can pass up anyone currently on the depth chart.

I hope I'm wrong, but he seems like a project more than a guy who will jump in and contribute in year one.

 

[Huskerthom]

There is an article on 247 this morning that I can't link here because it's a premium/pay only item, but it suggests that Mauga has pretty good instincts but has a tendency to play outside of the scheme and still needs to add weight. The key phrase for me in this article is that he "adds depth" . To me, that means he has a ways to go before he can pass up anyone currently on the depth chart.

I hope I'm wrong, but he seems like a project more than a guy who will jump in and contribute in year one.

Interesting. Even if he adds quality depth it would be worth it. BTW with his speed I think his weight is another one of those things people give too much credence. I mean we have 2 examples Demmorrio and Lavante that have both proven if you have enough speed you can be a great defensive player even if you lack size.

 

[ThrowFar60]

I knew someone was going to claim that. So is it also racist when the Polynesian football hall of fame says it? https://www.thecoconet.tv/cocoblog/how-can-tiny-samoa-dominate-the-nfl/ how about "Now this" are they racist? https://nowthisnews.com/videos/sports/heres-how-american-somoa-became-a-big-exporter-of-nfl-talent So NFL films I guess they are racist too. http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films...-Films-Presents-Conditions-of-Samoan-football Or the Pittsburgh Gazzette which had an article that sounds pretty close to my take.

I have documented on here many times that I lived in and among a large Samoan community in Oceanside CA. I used to work out with a Friend in the Corps whose name was actually Sam Samoa. My son played football with Junior Seau's nephew, his niece had a sleep over at my house. What I stated was fact not opinion. It is also the same conditions that lead Polynesians to not only dominate football but one of my other favorite sports Rugby. What I stated is well documented fact. So please take your accusations elsewhere.

I don’t think you know what the word fact means. If you would have told me that the reason I played football so well was because of the color of my skin and typically we come from poverty so we play harder....1 that’s wrong, and 2 that isn’t a fact, it’s an opinion.

Regardless, I digress. Welcome to the big red young man

 

[Huskerthom]

I don’t think you know what the word fact means. If you would have told me that the reason I played football so well was because of the color of my skin and typically we come from poverty so we play harder....1 that’s wrong, and 2 that isn’t a fact, it’s an opinion.

Regardless, I digress. Welcome to the big red young man

There have literally been several anthropological studies done on the subject. BTW you are the one that brought color into the picture. there are plenty of non polynesians that are the same color that do not excel at football. It has been accurately determined that their success is a mixture of nature and nurture. Polynesians are 56 times more likely to make it to the NFL then ANY OTHER RACIAL GROUP. It is everything from their genetics (which do play a part but not the whole picture) Polynesian Dances which they are taught from a very young age which require strength agility and speed, their diet which promotes muscle growth. Instead of being ignorant do some research. Everything I stated is well documented.

Unless you also think the Smithsonian is racist. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-samoans-are-so-overrepresented-nfl-180969935/ and Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/leighs...can-tiny-samoa-dominate-the-nfl/#36ebf118bfbb We are talking about an Island with a population half the population of Lincoln who currently has 33 NFL players and 200+ college players.

However I know you will not read any of these articles because you would rather feel superior calling someone a racist than read facts.

 

[Atlanta Husker]

Where did this dude get info that he's a 4.4 guy?

It's 2019, if you don't know the facts, just make it up.......

 

[Ellis Boyd Redding]

Rivals now has Eteva as a 4-Star 5.8

 

[BigRedAvenger]

There have literally been several anthropological studies done on the subject. BTW you are the one that brought color into the picture. there are plenty of non polynesians that are the same color that do not excel at football. It has been accurately determined that their success is a mixture of nature and nurture. Polynesians are 56 times more likely to make it to the NFL then ANY OTHER RACIAL GROUP. It is everything from their genetics (which do play a part but not the whole picture) Polynesian Dances which they are taught from a very young age which require strength agility and speed, their diet which promotes muscle growth. Instead of being ignorant do some research. Everything I stated is well documented.

Unless you also think the Smithsonian is racist. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-samoans-are-so-overrepresented-nfl-180969935/ and Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/leighs...can-tiny-samoa-dominate-the-nfl/#36ebf118bfbb We are talking about an Island with a population half the population of Lincoln who currently has 33 NFL players and 200+ college players.

However I know you will not read any of these articles because you would rather feel superior calling someone a racist than read facts.

In regards to Samoans, I have also read that their warrior culture plays into it as well. Although not the original article, I did find another that touches on this.

"Beyond that, there is the traditional Fa`a Samoa—the way of Samoa—which embraces physical competition and conflict. "

The Samoan Way of Football

No other segment of U.S. society produces as many players per capita, and the risks of long-term damage from the sport have yet to change that.

www.wsj.com

 

[Native]

Rivals now has Eteva as a 4-Star 5.8

Rivals needs to think about adjusting their scales. Players are rated on essentially a 2-5 star system and a points scale of ??-6.0.

This nice, oddly ranged dual scoring system lets us refer to recruits as high 3 star, or nearly a 5 star. (low 4 star and low 3 star are never used).

Really glad they have something so intuitive to go with the subjective nature of the beast that is player rankings.

 

[NU_Alum]

I can tell you I hated playing against Polynesian players the most in rugby. Large men that move too fast for their size and no mercy on the pitch.

Loved going to the bar with them after though.

 

[The Impaler]

I hesitate to jump into this, but wouldn’t saying “Samoan” be more akin to saying “American” or “Italian” or “Spanish” than it would be to “black” or “white?” That’s the way I read it anyway.

 

[Fort Husker]

I seem to remember Williams being a high 4* type of recruit out of junior college. That was a while ago though, so i could be wrong.

Yes, Demorrio was a 5-star per Rivals. Big pick-up when we got him.

 

[Huskerwisdom]

There is an article on 247 this morning that I can't link here because it's a premium/pay only item, but it suggests that Mauga has pretty good instincts but has a tendency to play outside of the scheme and still needs to add weight. The key phrase for me in this article is that he "adds depth" . To me, that means he has a ways to go before he can pass up anyone currently on the depth chart.

I hope I'm wrong, but he seems like a project more than a guy who will jump in and contribute in year one.

I think he can contribute in year 1 even if he isn't starting. We definitely need to be more creative in how we play our ILB's. We kept hearing that Reimer was working on the long yardage down package, but didn't see much of him like that.

Should add to this that we also need to have a ton of 2-deep depth to play the differing styles in the conference. What we want for Indiana and Purdue isn't what we want for Iowa and Wiscy, for instance.

Of course, what Ohio State is doing this year is a mix of both of those at a high level.. brutal to play that

 

[ShortSideOption]

There is an article on 247 this morning that I can't link here because it's a premium/pay only item, but it suggests that Mauga has pretty good instincts but has a tendency to play outside of the scheme and still needs to add weight. The key phrase for me in this article is that he "adds depth" . To me, that means he has a ways to go before he can pass up anyone currently on the depth chart.

I hope I'm wrong, but he seems like a project more than a guy who will jump in and contribute in year one.

He is basically an athletic Garrett Nelson. Someone who has some really good tools but plays with their hair on fire and forgets their responsibility sometimes.

The good news is that we can use him immediately on passing downs to rush the passer and you can't screw that up. And that's exactly what we need. That's basically how he was used at his JUCO, all of his hudl film is him blitzing and slicing thru the line.

 

[Beareye]

Rivals now has Eteva as a 4-Star 5.8

Quite a jump from unranked! I figured they would assign a low or CV mud 3* rating