Giovanni Manu

Last updated

Giovanni Manu
No. 59 – Detroit Lions
Position: Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (2001-01-26) January 26, 2001 (age 23)
Tonga
Height:6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:352 lb (160 kg)
Career information
High school: Pitt Meadows
(Pitt Meadows, British Columbia)
University: UBC (2018–2023)
NFL draft: 2024  / Round: 4 / Pick: 126
CFL Draft: 2024  / Round: 5 / Pick: 46
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards

Werner "Giovanni" Manu (born January 26, 2001) is a Tongan American football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played Canadian football in U Sports for the UBC Thunderbirds. Manu was selected by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Contents

Early life and education

Manu was born on January 26, 2001 in Tonga. [1] He moved to British Columbia in Canada to live with an aunt at the age of 11. [2] He entered the Pitt Meadows Secondary School and tried out football soon after. [3] He also played basketball. [1]

Career

University

Manu enrolled at the University of British Columbia in 2018 and redshirted his first year on the UBC Thunderbirds football team. [4] He won a starting role on the offensive line in 2019 as the team went 2–6. [1] [2] The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Manu then started all seven games at left tackle in 2021. [1] [4] He started games at both left tackle and left guard in 2022 and was selected second-team All-Canadian. [5] He and fellow Thunderbirds offensive lineman Theo Benedet were both ranked as among the top prospects for the 2023 CFL draft, but opted to return to UBC for a final season. [6] [7] He repeated as a second-team All-Canadian choice in the 2023 selection and helped UBC make their first appearance in the Vanier Cup since 2015. [8]

Professional

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 7+3⁄8 in
(2.02 m)		352 lb
(160 kg)		34+5⁄8 in
(0.88 m)		10+1⁄2 in
(0.27 m)		5.07 s1.81 s2.87 s4.81 s8.29 s33.5 in
(0.85 m)		8 ft 11 in
(2.72 m)		23 reps
All values from Pro Day [9]

In addition to being a top-ranked prospect for the 2024 CFL draft, Manu also received attention as a potential selection in the 2024 NFL draft, receiving praise for his skills and size. [8] [10] [11] Manu was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round (126th overall) of the NFL draft and by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the fifth round (46th overall) of the CFL draft. [12] He became the first player from UBC ever to be selected in the NFL draft. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shomari Williams</span> Canadian football coach and recruiter

Shomari Gyasi Williams is the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for the UBC Thunderbirds of U Sports football. He is a former professional Canadian football defensive end who played in parts of six seasons in the Canadian Football League. He was drafted first overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 2010 CFL Draft after Saskatchewan traded up to be in a position to draft him. Williams played one season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before being traded back to Saskatchewan. He played college football for the Queen's Golden Gaels and the Houston Cougars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hénoc Muamba</span> Congolese-Canadian gridiron football player (born 1989)

Hénoc Muamba is a Congolese-Canadian former professional football linebacker who played in both the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He is a two-time CFL All-Star, three-time CFL Divisional All-Star, and was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian in 2017. In 2022, he won the Grey Cup with the Argonauts and was named the game's most valuable player (MVP) and Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian, becoming the second player in history to earn both awards. He has also been a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Indianapolis Colts, Montreal Alouettes, Dallas Cowboys, and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Scherff</span> American football player (born 1991)

Brandon Scherff is an American football guard for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, where he played seven seasons and made five Pro Bowls before joining the Jaguars in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Konar</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1993)

Adam Konar is a Canadian football linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was originally drafted 25th overall in the 2015 CFL Draft by the Edmonton Eskimos and played for six non-consecutive seasons with the team. He played CIS football for the Calgary Dinos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U Sports East–West Bowl</span> Annual Canadian football game

The U Sports East–West Bowl is an annual preseason Canadian university football all-star game which showcases the top U Sports football prospects in the country who will be eligible for the following year's CFL Draft. The East–West Bowl is organized by the Canadian University Football Coaches Association (CUFCA) with the support of the Canadian Football League (CFL). It brings together over 90 of the top U Sports football players for a week of practices and evaluation, culminating with the annual all-star game. A national committee of U Sports head coaches selects the participants from a pool of players nominated by their respective universities. Players who are generally in their third year of eligibility are the prime candidates for nomination. Every U Sports football program is represented by a minimum of three and a maximum of four players who will be eligible for the CFL draft the following year. Each school submits a list of six players they nominate. A committee of U Sports coaches and CFL representatives review the nominations and determine who gets invited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UBC Thunderbirds football</span> University Canadian football team

The UBC Thunderbirds football team represents the University of British Columbia athletics teams in U Sports and is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Thunderbirds program has won the CWUAA Hardy Trophy conference championship 17 times, which is third all-time among competing teams. On a national level, the team has won the Vanier Cup championship four times, in 1982, 1986, 1997 and, most recently, in 2015. The team has also lost twice in the title game, in 1978 and 1987. The Thunderbirds program has also yielded three Hec Crighton Trophy winners: Jordan Gagner in 1987, Mark Nohra in 1997, and, most recently, Billy Greene in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mathieu Betts</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1995)

Mathieu Betts is a professional American football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Betts is the only player in U Sports football history to have won four major individual awards after he won the 2015 Peter Gorman Trophy as the most outstanding rookie and the 2016–2018 J. P. Metras Trophy awards as the most outstanding down lineman. He is a two-time Vanier Cup champion having won in 2016 and 2018.

Dakoda Shepley is a Canadian football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Shepley played university football at British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stavros Katsantonis</span> Canadian football defensive back

Stavros Anastasios Katsantonis, nicknamed "the Bakersfield Bandit", is a Canadian football defensive back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played U Sports football for the UBC Thunderbirds. In college he developed a reputation for forcing turnovers, setting school records, as well as cracking the conference and national record books earning 20 career interceptions as well as a total of 10 forced/recovered fumbles. In his first collegiate season, he garnered national attention with six interceptions and a total of four forced and recovered fumbles in seven games. In his true freshman season, he would go on to be proven as an integral part of the 2015 Vanier Cup Champion T-Birds, and received the Bruce Coulter Award as the Vanier Cup's Defensive MVP. Katsantonis would go on to be a 3× first team All-Canadian at the safety position during his collegiate tenure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Edwards (Canadian football)</span> American gridiron football player (born 1992)

Christopher Edwards is a retired professional Canadian football defensive back, who most recently played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Braxton Jones is an American football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Southern Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevon Tate</span> American gridiron football player (born 1994)

Trevon Tate is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Hladik</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1999)

Ben Hladik is a professional Canadian football linebacker for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Julian Good-Jones is an American football guard for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa State and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Good-Jones also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Calgary Stampeders.

Lake Korte-Moore is a Canadian football defensive lineman for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played U Sports football for the UBC Thunderbirds and was selected in the first round of the 2023 CFL Draft by Saskatchewan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qwan'tez Stiggers</span> American football player (born 2002)

Qwan'tez London Stiggers is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Unlike most professional football players from the United States, Stiggers did not play college football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Kwamou</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 2002)

Daniel Kwamou is a professional Canadian football linebacker for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Theo Benedet is a Canadian gridiron football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played U Sports football for the UBC Thunderbirds.

Casey Burnell Bauman is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Montana State and Augustana.

Joel Dublanko is a Canadian professional gridiron football linebacker for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the first overall pick in the 2024 CFL Draft.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Brugler, Dane (April 2024). "The Beast: 2024 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic . p. 133.
  2. 1 2 Hodge, John (April 26, 2024). "UBC OL Giovanni Manu hoping to shine light on U Sports as first NFL draft pick since 2016". 3DownNation.com.
  3. ↑ Gumboc, Annaliese (April 25, 2024). "The NFL has never drafted a player straight from UBC. Giovanni Manu and Theo Benedet could change that". The Ubyssey .
  4. 1 2 Kruse, Zach (April 13, 2024). "Packers to host British Columbia OT Giovanni Manu on top 30 pre-draft visit". USA Today .
  5. ↑ Abbott, JC (February 18, 2024). "UBC Thunderbirds to host NFL pro day for top OL prospects Theo Benedet, Giovanni Manu". 3DownNation.com.
  6. ↑ Ewen, Steve (January 28, 2023). "Top UBC offensive linemen run reverse play, opting out of CFL draft for another T-Bird season". The Province .
  7. ↑ Tucker, Brandon (September 12, 2022). "Pitt Meadows football star makes list of top-2o CFL Draft prospects". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News .
  8. 1 2 Ewen, Steve (April 25, 2024). "UBC has never had a player picked in the NFL Draft — could they have two by the end of the weekend?". The Province .
  9. ↑ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Giovanni Manu College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  10. ↑ Tucker, Brandon (January 26, 2024). "Pitt Meadows athlete cracks top-10 of CFL Scouting Bureau list". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News .
  11. ↑ Miljure, Ben (April 18, 2024). "UBC football star turning heads in lead up to NFL draft". CTV News.
  12. ↑ Tucker, Brandon (May 2, 2024). "Pitt Meadows football star drafted twice in one year". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News .
  13. ↑ Kalkarni, Akshay (April 30, 2024). "UBC football player drafted to NFL describes 'dream come true'". CBC.ca.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.