Daniel Faalele

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Daniel Faalele
No. 77 – Baltimore Ravens
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1999-11-09) 9 November 1999 (age 24)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Height:6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Weight:380 lb (172 kg)
Career information
High school:IMG Academy
(Bradenton, Florida)
College:Minnesota (2018–2021)
NFL draft:2022 / Round: 4 / Pick: 110
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Games played:32
Games started:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Daniel Faalele (/fɑːɑːˈleɪleɪ/ fah-ah-LAY-lay;[1] born 9 November 1999) is an Australian professional American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Minnesota.

Early years[edit]

Faalele was born on 9 November 1999 in Melbourne, Victoria, to a Samoan father and Tongan mother.[2][3] According to a 2017 USA Today article, his father was 6'4" (1.94 m) tall, weighing 290 pounds (131 kg).[4] Faalele played basketball and rugby union as a youth[5] until a member of the coaching staff of the University of Hawaiʻi football team discovered him while scouting players in Australia.[6]

After participating in a local satellite camp run by Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and garnering interest from multiple Division I programs, Faalele was recruited to play football at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.[7] After only practising and learning the sport in 2016, he was a starter on IMG's offensive line in 2017 as the team went undefeated and he was selected to play in the 2018 Under Armour All-America Game.[8] Faalele was rated a four star prospect and committed to play college football at Minnesota over offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU and Michigan.[9]

College career[edit]

Faalele played in 10 games as a true freshman, starting the final eight games of the season at right tackle and was named honourable mention All-Big Ten Conference.[10] Following the season, he was listed as one of Australia's 50 Greatest Living Athletes by GQ Australia.[11] Faalele started 11 games at right tackle and was again named honorable mention All-Big Ten as a sophomore.[12] As a junior in 2020, Faalele opted out of the season due to the COVID-19 crisis. Despite projections that Faalele would enter the 2021 NFL Draft, he decided to stay with Minnesota for his senior year.[13] On 28 December 2021, in his final college game, he scored his first career touchdown in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against West Virginia, with a two-yard run up the middle.[14]

Professional career[edit]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 8+1⁄8 in
(2.04 m) 		384 lb
(174 kg) 		35+1⁄8 in
(0.89 m) 		11 in
(0.28 m)		 5.60 s 2.04 s 3.25 s 5.06 s 8.47 s 29.5 in
(0.75 m)		 7 ft 10 in
(2.39 m)		 24 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[15][16][17]

Faalele was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round, 110th overall, of the 2022 NFL Draft.[18] At 174 kilograms (384 lb), Faalele became the heaviest rostered player in the NFL.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS" (PDF). RavesPR.com. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  2. ^ Mika, Talaia (1 July 2019). "Family proud of Minnesota offensive lineman Daniel Faalele". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  3. ^ "IMG Academy's 'freakish' offensive lineman Daniel Faalele readying for anticipated debut". USA TODAY High School Sports. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  4. ^ "IMG Academy's 'freakish' offensive lineman Daniel Faalele readying for anticipated debut". USA TODAY High School Sports. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  5. ^ Cameron, Ian (30 April 2022). "Former rugby player becomes the heaviest athlete in the NFL". RugbyPass. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  6. ^ Metcalfe, Myron (26 December 2018). "Larger-than-life Faalele making an impact at Minnesota". ESPN.com. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  7. ^ Staples, Andy (6 March 2017). "Think big: 6'9", 396-pound Daniel Faalele has coaches drooling—and he's never played a down". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  8. ^ Mason, Tyler (26 October 2018). "Daniel Faalele's quick rise from football rookie in Australia to the Gophers' line". The Athletic. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  9. ^ VanHaaren, Tom (10 December 2017). "Daniel Faalele, at 6-8, 395 pounds, to play football for Gophers". ESPN.com. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  10. ^ Dodd, Dennis (22 July 2019). "The biggest player in college football is just now learning how to dominate". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  11. ^ Riley, Christopher (3 March 2019). "These Are Australia's 50 Greatest Living Athletes". GQ Australia. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  12. ^ Ryan, Megan (5 December 2019). "Rashod Bateman named Big Ten Receiver of the Year; Tyler Johnson also first team". Star Tribune. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  13. ^ Wald, Jeff (10 March 2021). "'Back like I never left': Daniel Fa'alele announces return to Gophers". Fox9.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  14. ^ Wald, Jeff (28 December 2021). "Daniel Faalele scores big guy TD for Gophers at Guaranteed Rate Bowl". fox9.com. Fox News.
  15. ^ "Daniel Faalele Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Daniel Faalele, Minnesota, OT, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Daniel Faalele 2022 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  18. ^ Brown, Clifton (30 April 2022). "Five Things to Know About Daniel Faalele". BaltimoreRavens.com. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Australian Daniel Faalele, 174kg, drafted by Ravens, becomes heaviest NFL player". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 30 April 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.

External links[edit]

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