Daniel Faalele, a 174kg Australian beast, is about to be unleashed on the NFL.
Daniel Faalele, a Melbourne behemoth, is likely to become the latest Australian giant to move to the NFL in tomorrow’s draft (AEST).
The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to select the Australian, who has minimal experience, in the second or third round, only four years after the Philadelphia Eagles took a chance on former league player Jordan Mailata in the seventh round, which turned out to be a masterstroke.
Faalele, 22, is the biggest offensive tackle in the 2022 NFL draft, and despite never working out, he was able to showcase his size and length at the NFL Combine.
Faalele’s size may have been considered as a hindrance in Australia’s footy competitions, but on the gridiron, his size is not just viewed as a tremendous positive, but something that all teams crave.
Faalele’s stature has always been a distinguishing trait in any activity he’s participated in, with the Australian towering 180cm tall and weighing 100 kilos at the age of 12.
He played basketball and rugby before abandoning the 15-man game since he didn’t enjoy injuring opponents when he tackled them.
A chance meeting in a Melbourne gym with the establishment’s director David Tuinauvai, who has ties to the University of Hawaii, piqued his interest in American football.
He then went on to a University of Michigan satellite camp in Melbourne, and two months later, he was at IMG Academy in Florida, which has been dubbed “America’s top prep football school.”
In 2018, Faalele told ESPN, “I didn’t know what a first down was or anything.”
“I had no idea what their titles were or what responsibilities they played.” That was unexpected.
He continued, “Just being around football helped me comprehend it more.” “I had no notion how to play and had only recently begun to learn.” From there, I began to understand the regulations and the various duties on the team.”
Faalele, on the other hand, was a quick study who had an immediate impact on the field in 2017, propelling the IMG Academy team to an undefeated season.
According to ESPN, after that, the man-mountain had scholarship offers from Arkansas, Fresno State, Hawaii, LSU, Miami, Michigan, and Oregon State before settling at the University of Minnesota.
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In a squad that went 11-2 in 2019 and then 9-4 in 2021, he was named first-team all-Big Ten. Because of worries about the coronavirus, Faalele did not play in 2020.
In the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, the Australian famously scored a touchdown in his final college game against West Virginia.
