Nicky Sualua

Last updated
Nicky Sualua
No. 45
Position: Fullback
Personal information
Born: (1975-04-16) April 16, 1975 (age 47)
Santa Ana, California
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
High school: Mater Dei (CA)
College: Ohio State
NFL Draft: 1997  / Round: 4 / Pick: 129
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Games played:26
Games started:1
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Nicky Sualua (born April 16, 1975) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Ohio State University.

Contents

Early years

Sualua didn't start playing football until his freshman year at Santiago High School, where he was a guard and defensive tackle. The next year, he transferred to Mater Dei High School, where he played as a fullback and defensive end. [1] As a sophomore, he helped his team compile a 13-1 record and win the state title.

As a senior, he had 85 carries for 562 yards (6.6 avg.) and 9 touchdowns, despite missing five games with a high ankle sprain he suffered in the opening game. He was voted the MVP of the South Coast League and scored 6 touchdowns in the opening round of the playoffs. [2] He also lettered in wrestling and weightlifting, winning the state title in 1991.

College career

Sualua accepted a football scholarship from Ohio State University. After being redshirted as a freshman, he started the last 8 games of his sophomore year at fullback, blocking for Eddie George. He tallied 18 carries for 106 yards and 7 receptions for 70 yards. He posted career-highs with 6 carries for 44 yards against the University of Alabama in the Citrus Bowl.

He started the final 10 games of his junior season, blocking for George on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy in 1995. He registered 18 carries for 106 rushing yards (5.9 avg.), 17 receptions for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had career-highs with 5 receptions for 57 yards against the University of Michigan.

He declared as an early entrant to the NFL Draft, after being ruled academically ineligible to play in his senior season (1996). [3]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Sualua was selected in the fourth round (129th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, to develop as the eventual successor to Pro Bowl fullback Daryl Johnston. As a rookie, he was declared inactive in the first 6 games, until Johnston suffered a season ending neck injury against the Washington Redskins in the sixth contest of the season. Although he was active, he remained a backup behind Herschel Walker until the season finale against the New York Giants.

On May 6, 1999, former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Mark Tuinei was found unconscious in his car after spending the previous evening with Sualua. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital in the Dallas suburb of Plano, with the autopsy revealing that he died of a combination of heroin and a form of the drug ecstasy. [4] His death was ruled an accidental overdose and Sualua was never charged or suspended for the events surrounding Tuinei's death.

He was waived on June 15, 1999, with the team claiming it was for football reasons. [5] In his first two years he was mainly a backup and played on the special teams units.

Cincinnati Bengals

On June 25, 1999, Sualua was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals. [6] He was released with an injury settlement on September 2. [7]

Personal life

His cousin Troy Polamalu was an All-Pro strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Another cousin, Rawlston Masaniai, played soccer for the American Samoa national team. [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

Terry Tyree Glenn was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the New England Patriots seventh overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Galloway</span> American football player (born 1971)

Joseph Scott Galloway is an American former professional football player who is an analyst with ESPN. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Galloway was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks with the eighth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, and also played for the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He is the NFL's career leader in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns among players never selected to the Pro Bowl.

Cory Michael Schlesinger is a former American football fullback of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska.

Richard Darnoll Anderson is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Penn State University.

Willis Thurman Marshall III is a former arena football wide receiver / defensive back. He played college football at Youngstown State.

Michael Deshawn Wiley is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Ohio State University.

Alonzo Walter Highsmith, Sr. is an American football executive, former fullback, and former boxer. He is a General Manager for the University of Miami. He served as the vice president of player personnel for the Cleveland Browns from 2018 to 2019. Before that, Highsmith served as a senior personnel executive for the Green Bay Packers for six seasons from 2012 to 2017. He also played in the NFL for the Houston Oilers, Dallas Cowboys, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at the University of Miami.

Timothy Arthur Newsome is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Winston-Salem State University.

John Alan Williams is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. He also was a member of the Michigan Panthers and Oakland Invaders in the United States Football League. He played college football at the University of Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Battle</span> American football player (born 1983)

Ewart Haron "Jackie" Battle III is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, and Tennessee Titans. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 2007. He played college football at the University of Houston.

Jamar Martin is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. He played college football at Ohio State University.

Charles Lee Young is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted in the first round of the 1974 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State University.

Dialleo Burks Sr. is a coach and former arena football wide receiver / linebacker who is currently the head coach at Warner University. He played college football at Eastern Kentucky.

Dominique Ross is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Jacksonville Tomcats in the Arena Football League 2. He played college football at Valdosta State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Clay (American football)</span> American football player (born 1989)

Charles Clay is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Tulsa and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhett Ellison</span> American football player (born 1988)

Rhett Marshall Ellison is a former American football tight end and fullback who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He also played for the New York Giants for three seasons.

Gary Eugene Allen is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Calgary Stampeders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. He played college football at the University of Hawaii.

Alvin Wilbert Blount is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Washington Commandos and Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at the University of Maryland.

Darius “Jet” Anderson is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at TCU.

Sewo Olonilua is an American football fullback for the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. He played college football at TCU.

References

  1. ↑ "Sualua Trims Down, Shapes Up : Prep football: Mater Dei senior lost weight to earn starting fullback job" . Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Mater Dei's Sualua Picks Ohio State" . Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  3. ↑ "College Football -- 5 More Years: Asu, Snyder Agree To Deal" . Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Teammate Links Drugs to Tuinei" . Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Sualua Released" . Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Bengals nab Dallas' Sualua off waivers" . Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Transactions" . Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  8. ↑ McKibben, Dave (25 November 2000). "Masaniai's Subtlety Is Not Overlooked". Los Angeles Times . p. 249. Retrieved 13 February 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Rawlston Masaniai". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
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.