Maualuga attended St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California where he played on a team with Lorenzo Booker. He moved to Eureka, California before his sophomore year where he played with future Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Maurice Purify.[1] His team, the Eureka High School Loggers completed their perfect 13-0 season with a North Coast Section championship at the Redwood Bowl during his junior year. That year, he posted 146 tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and one interception. In his senior year he had 96 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), two fumble recoveries, and one kickoff return for a touchdown. Eureka achieved an impressive 20-2-1 win–loss–tie record during his junior and senior seasons. Following his high school senior season, Maualuga played in the by-invitation 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
As a freshman in 2005, Maualuga earned Freshman All-American first-team honors from the Football Writers Association of America and Scout.com; also he won USC's John McKay Award (most competitive spirit). Off the field his career started with occasional spirited and reckless partying that led to an October 2005 incident where he got into a fight at a Halloween party and was arrested for misdemeanor battery.[2] He agreed in an arraignment diversion program that included counseling, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and community service resulting in the charges being dismissed. Maualuga later noted that: "You learn that you're only given a certain number of chances. If you keep going back to the same things you were doing, it shows that you don't learn from anything."[3]
In 2006, Maualuga returned in full form and was nominated for the Butkus Award and second team All-Pac-10. He made his first start in place of injured senior Oscar Lua against Nebraska.[4]
Maualuga was considered a top choice for the 2008 NFL draft, but he decided to stay for his senior year in college.
At the end of the 2007 regular season, Maualuga was selected to the All-Pacific-10 Conference first team for the second year in a row by league coaches.[8] He was the defensive player-of-the-game in the 2008 Rose Bowl.[9]
Maualuga wears jersey number 58, which was previously worn by former Trojan linebacker and NFL Pro Bowl player Lofa Tatupu, who, like Maualuga, is also of Samoan descent. Mindful of his heritage, Maualuga displays many bold, warrior-like Polynesian tattoos on his arms and legs. Some NFL scouts have compared Maualuga to former Trojan and NFL linebacker Junior Seau and former Trojan and retired Pittsburgh SteelerssafetyTroy Polamalu, both of Samoan descent, for their sideline-to-sideline aggressive style of defense play, and Polamalu's shared preference for displaying long Polynesian warrior-style hair tucked under their football helmet.
Maualuga was one of twelve graduating 2008 senior USC players, including the four senior linebackers (Maualuga, Cushing, Maiava, and Matthews), invited to the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine.[10]
In the lead up to the 2009 NFL draft, Maualuga was ranked as one of the top middle linebackers entering the draft, alongside Ohio State's James Laurinaitis.[14] USC linebackers Maualuga, Cushing, and Matthews were all featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 2009 NFL Draft Preview magazine, as all three were regarded as potential first round selections.[15]
Cincinnati Bengals
Despite being projected as a first round pick, Maualuga was picked in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals.[16] He was projected by some, and expecting, to go 16th overall to the San Diego Chargers, who instead opted to select hybrid linebacker/defensive end Larry English out of Northern Illinois. After being selected, Maualuga cried as he gave thanks to his late father and said he was thankful for his opportunity as "Nothing like this was ever expected for our family."[17] His selection came one year after the Bengals used a first-round pick to select Maualuga's college teammate, linebacker Keith Rivers.
On December 30, 2009, Maualuga was placed on injured reserve due to a dislocated elbow. He finished his rookie season with 64 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles, and three pass deflections in 15 games started.
On November 16, 2012, Maualuga was fined $15,750 for unnecessary roughness against the New York Giants.[18]
Maualuga signed a new two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Bengals on March 18, 2013.[19][20]
On March 25, 2017, Maualuga was released by the Bengals.[21]
Miami Dolphins
On August 19, 2017, Maualuga signed with the Miami Dolphins.[22] He was released on November 18, 2017, following his arrest the previous night.[23]
After his father died, Maualuga began honoring him with a message on his eye blacks.
Maualuga was born at Reynolds Army Community Hospital in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to American Samoan parents, Talatonu and Tina Maualuga.[2] His father, Talatonu, was in Oklahoma serving with the United States Army. Within a few months, the family moved to Waipahu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu.[3] Financially, the family struggled in Hawaii.[2] While in sixth grade, Maualuga started playing football because he saw the popular kids played football and carried their pads and helmets to school.[3] Not only was Maualuga passionate about football, he also had a love for attending church with his family. His family attended First Samoan Full Gospel Pentecostal Church in Waipahu and Moanalua, where Rey was a member of the FSFGPC youth group. After sixth grade, his family moved to Oxnard, California as his father pursued Pentecostalministry. He spent his first year of high school in nearby Ventura before moving up to Eureka in Northern California where his father practiced ministry.[3]
During Maualuga's freshman year he wrote "RIP" on the eye black paint under his right eye and "DAD" under his left eye in honor of his dad who died two days before the BCS National Championship Game following the 2005 season.[25] His dad died after battling brain cancer, and from at least his junior season, black eye paint under both eyes read "DAD" in silver. He has two younger brothers.[2]
Maualuga also played fictional NFL player Popo Vanauta in the 2014 baseball film Million Dollar Arm.
Maualuga was arrested on January 29, 2010, on charges of drunken driving and careless driving at the Kenton County jail in Covington, Kentucky.[27] That same day, the TMZ website published a photo purportedly showing Maulauga's arrest at the crash scene, and reported that Maualuga's blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was about double the legal limit.[28] On February 2, 2010, Maualuga pleaded guilty to the drunken driving charge. He was given a 7-day suspended jail sentence, two years probation, drivers' license suspension for 90 days, and fined $350. He apologized for his actions when he made his plea.[29]
On November 18, 2017, Maualuga was arrested for battery in Miami, Florida. He was accused for grabbing and shoving a man, who was deemed to be an employee at an E11EVEN nightclub, over a $40 bar tab dispute. Shortly thereafter, the Miami Dolphins waived Maualuga.[30]
On July 20, 2020, Maualuga was arrested for intoxicated driving and reckless driving in Villa Hills, Kentucky.[31]
On August 12, 2021, Maualuga was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, criminal mischief, and wanton endangerment in Villa Hills, Kentucky. Police said that Maualuga drove through multiple yards and ran over mailboxes before hitting a parked car. Maualuga hit the parked car so hard that part of his Mercedes went underneath it and wedged it between a tree.[32] Maualuga spent 120 days in jail, completed an in-patient substance abuse program, and was entered into a pre-trial diversion program by which the charges will be dismissed if he meets the requirements of the program.[33] On May 7, 2024, Maualuga celebrated 1000 days of sobriety. [34]
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