Rey Maualuga

[Guest Aloysius]

Here's an ESPN College Gameday segment on Maualuga that Shep mentioned last week.

 

 

The clip doesn't specify what kind of trouble Rey got into, so I tried to do a little research into what happened. Here's what I came up with:

• November 2005: Maualuga arrested for punching another USC athlete, charged with misdemeanor battery.

   

• December 2005: Maualuga's father passes away

   

• Early 2006: Maualuga caught by police urinating outside a bar, not charged with a crime.

   

• Spring 2006: Prosecutors agree to drop battery charge on the condition that he perform 100 hours of community service, receive 24 hours of anger management counseling, and attend 26 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Also, Maualuga must avoid being charged with another crime within the next year.

   

• September 2006: Maualuga tells reporters that he's completed his alcohol and anger management program: "I've done what I need to do and I'm just concentrating on football."

   

• October 2006: Maualuga becomes aggressive at a frat party, going around pushing people. Campus security are called in to resolve the situation, but nothing is reported to the LAPD. Had he been arrested & charged with anything, prosecutors would have reopened the misdemeanor battery case against him.

   

  As punishment for getting in trouble again, Pete Carroll makes Maualuga re-enroll in the alcohol and anger management courses.

   

• October 2006: Maualuga benched for being late to a meeting.

That's all that I've found on Maualuga having trouble with the law or being disciplined by the coaching staff, though I've seen unconfirmed reports that Maualuga has fallen asleep during meetings. Whenever Pete Carroll is asked about disciplinary action against his players, he responds that he deals with those matters "in-house." So it's definitely possible that there have been more instances than the ones noted above.

 

In the last two years, Maualuga has managed to avoid any trouble with the law. And to his credit, he's dropped some excess weight and appears to be more focused on football.

 

What concerns me, however, is that he still seems to be making some pretty bone-headed decisions:

• October 2007: Maualuga suffers a hip injury during the Arizona game. The training staff diagnoses it as a hip pointer, but Maualuga tells the media he think the trainers are wrong: "It just feels bad. It's like one of the worst pains I've felt. They say it's a hip pointer, but I came out because I felt a pop. They can say one thing, but who knows my body [better] than I do?"

   

  A few days later, Maualuga does a complete 180 and says he's healthy enough to play the following week. Coach Carroll tells the media that Maualuga isn't ready; after all, he had missed a ton of practice time that week. Maualuga doesn't start against Notre Dame and only sees limited time on the field.

   

• August 2008: Maualuga decides to take two Vicodin painkillers before USC's opener at Virginia (he had a broken finger). The narcotics make him feel woozy and extremely nauseous. Whenever he tries to drink some water, he ends up vomiting it back up.

   

  While the team is waiting to board its flight back home, Maualuga collapses due to dehydration. The medical staff administers six bags of IV fluids by the time their flight lands in Cali.

And when I went looking for the College Gameday segment, I came across this clip of Maualuga being a goofball.

 

 

Brian Cushing's trying to be professional in what seems to be an important interview to him. All the while, Maualuga's making funny faces behind him & messing with his hair. Not only does Rey appear to piss off Cushing, but he comes off as a total idiot when he proceeds to tell Holly Rowe how emotionally poignant this funny face-making moment is for him.

 

 

My Curry fandom probably makes me a little biased on this stuff, so I'm wondering if this info makes any of you worry about Rey possibly having some serious character issues.

 

At the very least, I have trouble seeing Rey as the guy a Belichick disciple would want to build his defense around. He's not the Tedy Bruschi-type; he's more of a Channing Crowder.

 

That's not necessarily a bad thing, but is it what you should want in a guy you're taking that high in the draft? I don't think so.

[Guest Masters]

You say he's a goofball; I say he's a character.

 

There is being a character, and having character....

 

[PlaygroundLegend]

I tend to see these things in a better light.

 

It shows attitude, confidence, determination, and aggressiveness

 

I also like the goofyness, it shows that he has a little bit of personality and humor about him, he is an identity, something we need on this defense, we dont only need a good player, we need a face, a definition, which is why curry doesnt cut it for me. We need attitude.

[bigred]

please stay away form Rey. If we go LB then we have to go Curry. There is something telling me he is just hype. I think Curry would be the best pick by far. No Rey in 09 PLEASE!

[Guest Aloysius]

I live in L.A. so we get Trojan news on a minute-ly basis... and Rey is well liked by all. He's no "problem child" here at all. He's generally regarded as something of a wild man who has matured through his time at the University of Spoiled Children.

 

You say he's a goofball; I say he's a character. But either way, we really aren't talking about Lawrence Phillips here.

Oh, I'm not saying he's Lawrence Phillips. But not being Lawrence Phillips isn't a very high threshold for determining whether a guy's a good fit for your club.

 

Also, I think it's deceptively hard to gauge whether a college player is a good guy or not based on his media pub. As Scott Pioli says, the best way to find out those things is to visit the facility and see how a guy treats the training staff or the secretaries in the main office...or if he intentionally disrupts another teammate's interview.

 

To me, there's enough stuff here to worry me. And considering we'll be giving the guy $20M guaranteed, even a little worry may be cause for passing on him.

[PlaygroundLegend]

Aloy man... you really dont like Rey do you, I thought at one point you would be satisfied with either but preferred Curry, but now you seem so Anti-Rey

[roach]

i think it showed good judgment that he went outside of the bar to pee. Who wants that kind of mess inside where they are serving beverages? Any reports of him hanging out with Jeremiah Pharms?

[Guest mz.]

This defense needs a personality. It needs a focal point. Like a Ray Lewis. Teammates like and respect guys like this.

 

I think Maualuga has that kind of potential. I could be wrong.

 

I'm not wrong about this being hilarious, though.

 

[bigred]

He didn't look so great againist the Beavers. At times he looked lost. I understand you have bad games but do it againist a good team and not somebody like the Beavers. Please so no. I'm for Wells but if we go D then go Curry. No Rey or Jenkins.

[Guest Aloysius]

Aloy man... you really dont like Rey do you, I thought at one point you would be satisfied with either but preferred Curry, but now you seem so Anti-Rey

I'm okay with him, just not as a top 5 pick.

 

The more I watch of Curry, the more I like him. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about Rey.

 

I didn't know about much of Maualuga's alcohol/fighting stuff until today. That's why I brought it up, not because of some mischievous plot to discredit Maualuga.

[Guest mz.]

I like Curry, too, but if we're searching for an identity, along with a linebacker, I think Rey trumps him.

 

Drafting Curry certainly seems safer, and certainly wouldn't upset me.

[Guest Aloysius]

He didn't look so great againist the Beavers. At times he looked lost. I understand you have bad games but do it againist a good team and not somebody like the Beavers.

That game scared the hell out of me. And watching him run himself out of plays and fail to wrap-up tackle in the Cal game didn't make me feel better.

 

Also, Heck said he looked a little violent & out of control in the UCLA game.

[bigred]

Rey will not be nere as good as Lewis is. Lewis is one of those players that don't come around often. You really don't need a loud mouth vocal guy either. You need somebody that's let's is play do the talking. I like the guy San Fran has, Willis, and he reminds me of Curry in a lot of ways.

[PlaygroundLegend]

Plus, Aloysius, you just posted a video of Ken Norton Jr. a Pro-Bowl Linebacker and a 2-time superbowl champion saying Rey MAualuga is way better than he ever was.

 

If that doesnt mean we should draft this guy, I dont know what does.

 

I dont smell bust one this one, and I'm pretty good at calling busts.

[Guest mz.]

"Maualaluga!"

[PlaygroundLegend]

Rey's biggest crime is being THAT fast while being THAT big and THAT violent:

 

 

 

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[Guest Aloysius]

Curry was nondescript in his last college football game. Let's see what Rey does against Penn State tomorrow and compare. I'm seriously open minded about it -- no, seriously! -- because I liked the tape you showed on Curry.

Nondescript may be a little unfair. Getting a TFL, a few QB pressures, and a couple of tackles isn't too shabby. Whatever it was, it was definitely better than Maualuga's performance against Oregon State.

 

[Guest Aloysius]

Plus, Aloysius, you just posted a video of Ken Norton Jr. a Pro-Bowl Linebacker and a 2-time superbowl champion saying Rey MAualuga is way better than he ever was.

 

If that doesnt mean we should draft this guy, I dont know what does.

If that's the case, then we shouldn't even watch these guys play - just check & see which prospect's position coach had the better NFL career and you'll know who the better player is.

 

After all, a coach is always going to give high praise for a guy entering the draft, especially when he's being featured on a segment about how he turned said player into a star.

[PlaygroundLegend]

good point

 

but dont you think it holds some water?

[Guest mz.]

Screw you guys. Now I'm officially torn.

[Guest Aloysius]

Some? Sure. But it shouldn't dictate who we take with our first pick.

 

[PlaygroundLegend]

I think we should ask ourselves, who has the higher ceiling? Who has the personality and talent , that if developed correctly would have the highest potential yield.

 

I think Rey fits that bueild.

 

Im not saying Curry is a bad pick, because he's not. He would be a great pick. He is a consistent tackler who is where he should be, when he is supposed to be there, makes the tackles and makes the plays, but we already have one of those In DQ Jackson, we need a personality, a punisher, a monster, an identity, a guy the makes the opposing team scared and play more cautiously, and that guy... once again I believe is Rey

[bigred]

You really don't need that. Look at the Giants and the Titans. Who do they have that scares you? Don't drink the juice with Rey, to me all hype. Just my thought. Could be wrong and Curry would be a nice fit.

[Guest Aloysius]

Im not saying Curry is a bad pick, because he's not. He would be a great pick. He is a consistent tackler who is where he should be, when he is supposed to be there, makes the tackles and makes the plays, but we already have one of those In DQ Jackson, we need a personality, a punisher, a monster, an identity, a guy the makes the opposing team scared and play more cautiously, and that guy... once again I believe is Rey

Curry doesn't at all remind me of D'Qwell. You're talking about a guy who had 13.5 TFL's this year, a guy Todd McShay said is "an absolute terror in the run game."

 

 

(towards the end of this clip)

 

And I don't think that Rey is more of a leader than Curry, though I'm not sure what I'd base that on. Just because one guy's a YouTube sensation and the other isn't doesn't mean the first guy's better.

 

I mean, how many of us last year were watching clip after clip of Jerod Mayo making big hits? And wouldn't you love to have him on our defense?

[PlaygroundLegend]

Dude Rey is Hawaiin

[Guest Aloysius]

I think this thread is making Rey out to be, uh... not good. I don't think Kiper or anybody else would agree. He's at worst a Top 12 pick.

I don't think I said that...just that he's not a Bruschi when it comes to a character, nor is he worth a top 5 pick.

 

But if you want to hear from people who disagree with both of us, you can check out this comment made by an anonymous NFL scout:

 

Well, I’m not a west coast guy but I just do not get the hype around Rey Maualuga (USC linebacker). So what if he’s a giant? That kid has zero football instincts and he isn’t one bit better than when he got there. Every time he actually makes a play he looks great, but watch him on the plays where he isn’t making the tackle. He’s taking himself out of plays and he cannot turn at all.

 

I know our west coast scout feels the same and he will not be high on our board.

[Guest Masters]

I don't think I said that...just that he's not a Bruschi when it comes to a character, nor is he worth a top 5 pick.

 

But if you want to hear from people who disagree with both of us, you can check out this comment made by an anonymous NFL scout:

 

 

I agree with him to the extent that it becomes clear once you've watched a lot of these guys who's the better overall linebacker.

 

I have said it before, and I'll say it again. Brian Cushing is the best LB on USC, not Ray. Taylor Mays is their best defensive player.

[Guest Aloysius]

And here's PFW's Nolan Nawrocki on Rey Rey:

 

Rey Maualuga, USC

6-2e, 250e, 4.7e

 

A true “Mike” linebacker with terrific strength at the point of attack, Maualuga still gets out of position too often and takes some questionable angles. When he has a clean window, he can strike with the authority of a small truck and level ballcarriers. However, he is tight in the hips, does not change direction cleanly and could be restricted on third downs, limiting his overall value. Durability and overall character still need closer examination, and perhaps the biggest question scouts will want answered is whether he can be more than a two-down, “Mike” ’backer in the NFL. A strong tackler with good overall instincts, Maualuga should contribute readily in the pros if he can stay focused.

[KardiacKid26]

He's badass and that's something that we need on this team. I wanna get him. Having him along with D'Qwell Jackson and Beau Bell, we would have a pretty solid linebacking corps

[Guest Aloysius]

I have said it before, and I'll say it again. Brian Cushing is the best LB on USC, not Ray. Taylor Mays is their best defensive player.

They're very different kinds of linebackers, but I can see why you'd think that.

 

Cushing & Curry were two guys I approached with a great deal of skepticism this year...and ended up being blown away. Cushing's durability issues worry me, tho.

 

I just want to revisit this YouTube clip of Cushing. Do you guys really not find this strange?

 

 

I mean, imagine if Brady Quinn was talking to Andrea Kremer after the game & Maualaga started doing something like that: don't you think Quinn would have been pissed?