Naufahu Tahi
Encyclopedia
Naufahu Anitoni Tahi is an American football
fullback
who is currently a free agent
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals
as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football
at BYU. Tahi has also been a member of the Minnesota Vikings
.
, Tahi was named the USA Today
Player of the Year for Utah as a senior. Tahi rushed for a total of 5,700 yards and set a state record as the all-time leader in rushing yards and for rushing touchdown
s.
as a freshman in 1999 and led the team that year in rushing with 445 yards before taking a three year leave for a mission
in Jacksonville, Florida
as he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tahi returned to Brigham Young in 2003 and had a career-best 872 yards rushing from scrimmage as a senior and scored 8 touchdowns (6 rushing and 2 receiving).
in 2006, but was released on final roster cuts and became a member of the team's practice squad.
on November 22, 2006 to their active roster from Cincinnati's practice squad.
Tahi saw his first significant playing time in 2008. During that year, he was listed number one on the Vikings depth chart and played several games at fullback blocking for Adrian Peterson as well as playing on special teams. He also had 16 receptions for 37 yards, most of which came on one-yard dumpoffs in the flat, a favorite play of Brad Childress
and the West Coast Offense
playbook.
Tahi signed a $1.4 million offer sheet March 19 with the Cincinnati Bengals
, but the Vikings matched the offer and re-signed him on March 27.
Tahi caught his first touchdown pass of his career on January 3, 2010 in a win against the New York Giants
. He was re-signed to a one-year contract on April 13.
, but he was born in California
before moving to Utah
as a child. Tahi is cousins with former BYU and current Colts practice squad fullback Fui Vakapuna
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
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....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football
College 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...
at BYU. Tahi has also been a member of the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Early years
At Granger High School in West Valley City, UtahWest Valley City, Utah
West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 129,480 at the 2010 census,...
, Tahi was named the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Player of the Year for Utah as a senior. Tahi rushed for a total of 5,700 yards and set a state record as the all-time leader in rushing yards and for rushing touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s.
College career
Tahi attended Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
as a freshman in 1999 and led the team that year in rushing with 445 yards before taking a three year leave for a mission
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
as he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tahi returned to Brigham Young in 2003 and had a career-best 872 yards rushing from scrimmage as a senior and scored 8 touchdowns (6 rushing and 2 receiving).
Cincinnati Bengals
Tahi was an undrafted free agent out of college and signed with the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in 2006, but was released on final roster cuts and became a member of the team's practice squad.
Minnesota Vikings
Tahi signed with the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
on November 22, 2006 to their active roster from Cincinnati's practice squad.
Tahi saw his first significant playing time in 2008. During that year, he was listed number one on the Vikings depth chart and played several games at fullback blocking for Adrian Peterson as well as playing on special teams. He also had 16 receptions for 37 yards, most of which came on one-yard dumpoffs in the flat, a favorite play of Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
and the West Coast Offense
West Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
playbook.
Tahi signed a $1.4 million offer sheet March 19 with the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, but the Vikings matched the offer and re-signed him on March 27.
Tahi caught his first touchdown pass of his career on January 3, 2010 in a win against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was re-signed to a one-year contract on April 13.
Personal
Tahi was raised in a family that are natives of TongaTonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, but he was born in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
before moving to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
as a child. Tahi is cousins with former BYU and current Colts practice squad fullback Fui Vakapuna
Fui Vakapuna
Fui Vakapuna is an American football fullback who most recently was a member of the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Brigham Young. His attempt to make the Bengals' roster was chronicled on the...
.