Paea sticks around to help Beavers, boost draft stock
In America we tend to take things for granted -- the shoes we wear, the cars we drive, the homes we live in ... all part of everyday life.
But for Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea (pronounced pie-uh), who grew up on Vav'u of the Tongan Islands, those luxuries were not available, and living on natural resources was a way of life.
"Tonga is nothing like America," Paea said. "We didn't have these fancy cars, money wasn't the issue that it is here, and shoes; we just ran around barefoot."
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| Stephen Paea (54) does a lot of damage in opponents' backfields. (Getty Images) |
It was on a rugby field where Paea's competitive nature emerged. He developed a passion for the only football he knew. He aspired to one day return to New Zealand (Paea was born in Auckland), attend high school, graduate and play rugby professionally. That was the plan until his parents decided that coming to America would provide more opportunity.
"My mom and dad thought about it and decided to make the move," he said. "We have a cousin who lives here, and he used to play in the NFL; his name is Chris Maumalanga. He sold us on the idea of coming to America, and my mom was driven by it. I thought New Zealand was in my future, but the next thing I knew we packed our bags and moved here."
The Paeas' journey in America started in Lawrence, Kan., where Maumalanga played college ball for the Jayhawks. But after a year in Lawrence they decided to uproot again and settle in Provo, Utah, where Stephen began his football career at Timpview High School.
As a senior at Timpview, Paea took on two extremes: learning the English language and using the physical gifts he possessed and incorporating them into American football. It was a smooth transition to the sport, but at just 240 pounds, he didn't receive a lot of college offers. There were a few Division III offers and some interest shown by local Division I schools BYU and Utah, but neither school viewed Paea as a defensive tackle, which is what he wanted to play. They recruited him as a middle linebacker.
The lack of interest from recruiters discouraged Paea and led him to the school counselor. It was the counselor who suggested that he enroll at nearby Snow College in Ephraim.
Out of options and with no other plan, Paea took him up on his suggestion.
"He had faith in me that I could make it there," Paea said. "I really didn't believe him, but I decided to go there for the heck of it."
At Snow, it started off just as Paea predicted. He was listed sixth on the depth chart at defensive end and ultimately was redshirted during his first year. The year off allowed him to concentrate on his education, and it gave him a chance to get stronger by adding 20 pounds to his frame. The ensuing season, the coaching staff moved him from defensive end to tackle.
Listed as the No. 2 tackle on the depth chart during the 2007 season, Paea caught the eye of Oregon State while they were reviewing film of the team's No. 1 tackle. It was at that time when OSU offered Paea a scholarship, and even though Snow wanted him to remain at the school, he had already achieved what he wanted by graduating early with an associate's degree, and it was time to fulfill his dream of playing for a Division I program.
Unlike his first season at Snow, Paea made an immediate impact for the Beavers in 2008. Meshing well with OSU's large Polynesian landscape, Paea played in all 13 games, starting 12 of them, and recorded 41 tackles, 11 for a loss, and five sacks. He displayed incredible strength and toughness in his first year and even played the final month of the season with a bum knee. The injury occurred during his breakout game against California when he had six tackles, two for a loss, and a sack. But he will never forget the play that caused him so much pain.
"I was tracking Jahvid Best on a stretch play and he went all the way around to the other sideline," Paea said. "I just missed him. I touched his shoulder pad, but it wasn't enough to get a grip of him. I got off the ground and was jumping up and down in the air, because I missed him. But when I came down I landed wrong on my knee and a bursa sac developed after that."
Fortunately, the injury was in the past and Paea was able to move forward without any setbacks for the '09 campaign. Once again showing his dominance and durability, Paea started all 13 games last season and generated 44 tackles, 8½ for a loss and three sacks. Statistically, his numbers were down from the previous year, but scouts and analysts alike wondered if the man they called "The Hulk" would enter the 2010 draft. He didn't, and as he looks back at his decision, he believes it was the right choice.
"When I saw that [Ndamukong] Suh and [Gerald] McCoy were both coming out, that's when I decided to return, because I didn't want to be in their shadow," he said. "At that point, I thought if I stayed I could finish school, get my degree and then pursue the NFL."
As Oregon State prepares for its 2010 season opener against TCU on Sept. 4, Paea is currently NFLDraftScout.com's No. 2-rated senior defensive tackle and is projected to be a first- or early second-round pick next April. The No. 1-rated defensive tackle on NDS' rankings is North Carolina's Marvin Austin. That could change rather quickly, and Paea could take over the top spot, as Austin faces a possible suspension stemming from an NCAA investigation over improper benefits.
Suspension or no suspension for Austin, there are scouts who believe Paea is the best interior defensive lineman in the country. The numbers that he has produced at OSU over the past two years on the field and in the weight room (550-pound bench press) have one longtime scout raving.
"He's a monster," the scout said. "He plays so low and is so explosive. The strength that he has is unbelievable; his ability to take on two blockers and allow others to succeed is what makes him attractive. The scary thing is he's only been playing football for three years. He's still growing physically and is still learning the nuances of the game."
Paea agrees that he's still honing his craft and hasn't even scratched the surface of what he can do on the football field. He does feel that it will all come together when he can incorporate his biggest strength and utilize it to his advantage during games.
"I know my bench press looks good to scouts off the field, but I want to use my bench press on the field," Paea said. "The coaches have been working with me on my bull rush and my rips, trying to find a way to use my strength more on the field. I have a lot to prove. I just have to do really well this season and continue to improve. That's what I'm going to do."
Chris Steuber is a Draft Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange. Email Chris at csteuber@nfldraftscout.com; follow him on Twitter @ChrisSteuber.
