Etu Molden
Encyclopedia
Etu Baraka Molden is an Arena Football League wide receiver
/linebacker
who is currently a free agent
. He attended the University of Montana.
in Carmichael, California
, where he lettered in football
, basketball
, baseball
, and track
.
career).
Molden was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference
selection after catching a team high 102 passes for 1,414 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior season, and started all 16 games during Montana's 2001 season, the Division I-AA national champions that year.
Etu was named the co-winner of the team’s outstanding offensive player award after recording 6 games with over 100 receiving yards.
As a junior, Molden earned second team all-conference honors after catching a team high 56 passes for 699 yards and 6 touchdowns during the regular season.
Played his first season as wide receiver in 1999, catching 29 passes for 456 yards and 6 scores. Molden spent his freshman season at Montana as a safety and made 19 tackles.
In 2001, Molden was tagged as Montana's "Go To Guy." He was instrumental in many key wins during the Grizzlies' national championship campaign, including a game winning touchdown catch against conference foe Eastern Washington
in double overtime. Molden was also nicknamed "The Sacramento Killer" for catching game-touchdown passes against Sacramento State
two consecutive years (1999 and 2000). This is notable considering Molden is from Sacramento.
Molden was also a fan favorite at Montana, particularly with the infamous "North Endzone" of Washington-Grizzly Stadium
.
team in 2004 and the All-Ironman team in 2005. In 2006, despite missing four regular season games due to injury, he still led the Rush with 67 receptions and helped them win ArenaBowl XX
in Las Vegas
.
Molden was released by the Chicago Rush on February 27, 2007, in the team's final cutdown before the start of the regular season. He was signed by the Las Vegas Gladiators
, prior to the start of the season. 3/4 of the way through the season, Las Vegas released him. On May 31, 2007 the Chicago Rush re-signed Molden.
In 2009, Molden, was signed by the Jacksonville Sharks
, but never played in a game due to failure to report.
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
/linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He attended the University of Montana.
High school years
Molden attended Jesuit High SchoolJesuit High School of Sacramento
Jesuit High School of Sacramento is a Catholic high school founded and run by the Society of Jesus. The school enrolls about 1,000 young men from all over the greater Sacramento Valley in California. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.- About :Jesuit High School is a...
in Carmichael, California
Carmichael, California
Carmichael is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 61,762 at the 2010 census, up from 49,742 at the 2000 census.-Geography and geology:Carmichael...
, where he lettered in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
.
Collegiate career at Montana
He attended and played for Montana from 1998-2001. Molden finished his career at Montana with 161 catches for 2,300 yards and 26 touchdowns. Molden also tallied 51 receptions for 620 yards and 4 touchdowns in the Division I-AA playoffs (which the Grizzlies reached each year of Molden's collegiateCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
career).
Molden was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
selection after catching a team high 102 passes for 1,414 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior season, and started all 16 games during Montana's 2001 season, the Division I-AA national champions that year.
Etu was named the co-winner of the team’s outstanding offensive player award after recording 6 games with over 100 receiving yards.
As a junior, Molden earned second team all-conference honors after catching a team high 56 passes for 699 yards and 6 touchdowns during the regular season.
Played his first season as wide receiver in 1999, catching 29 passes for 456 yards and 6 scores. Molden spent his freshman season at Montana as a safety and made 19 tackles.
In 2001, Molden was tagged as Montana's "Go To Guy." He was instrumental in many key wins during the Grizzlies' national championship campaign, including a game winning touchdown catch against conference foe Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University is an American public, coeducational university located in Cheney, Washington.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: Arts and Letters; Business and Public Administration; Science, Health and Engineering; and Social & Behavioral...
in double overtime. Molden was also nicknamed "The Sacramento Killer" for catching game-touchdown passes against Sacramento State
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...
two consecutive years (1999 and 2000). This is notable considering Molden is from Sacramento.
Molden was also a fan favorite at Montana, particularly with the infamous "North Endzone" of Washington-Grizzly Stadium
Washington-Grizzly Stadium
Washington-Grizzly Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Missoula, Montana, located on the campus of the University of Montana. It is home to the Montana Grizzlies college football team, a dominant program of the Big Sky Conference and consistently a top team in Division I FCS, formerly known...
.
Arena football career
In three seasons with the Rush, Molden caught 264 passes for 3,132 yards and scored 71 touchdowns. He was named to the league’s All-RookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
team in 2004 and the All-Ironman team in 2005. In 2006, despite missing four regular season games due to injury, he still led the Rush with 67 receptions and helped them win ArenaBowl XX
ArenaBowl XX
ArenaBowl XX, held on Sunday, June 11, 2006, was played to determine the championship of the 2006 season of the Arena Football League. For the second consecutive year, the game was played at the neutral site of the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It pitted the National Conference...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Molden was released by the Chicago Rush on February 27, 2007, in the team's final cutdown before the start of the regular season. He was signed by the Las Vegas Gladiators
Las Vegas Gladiators
The Cleveland Gladiators are an arena football franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio which plays in the Arena Football League. The team is part of the East division of the AFL's American Conference. The Gladiators play all of their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they share with the NBA's...
, prior to the start of the season. 3/4 of the way through the season, Las Vegas released him. On May 31, 2007 the Chicago Rush re-signed Molden.
In 2009, Molden, was signed by the Jacksonville Sharks
Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football...
, but never played in a game due to failure to report.