Vince Manuwai
Encyclopedia
Vincent Keoni Manuwai is an American football
guard
who is currently a free agent
. Originally, he was selected in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft
by the Jacksonville Jaguars
. He played college football
for the University of Hawaii
Warriors
.
. He attended Farrington High School
in Honolulu, where he earned varsity letter
s three times each in football
and track and field
and once in basketball
. In football, he earned All-Conference and All-State honors. In track and field, he was All-League in the shot put
, and first team All-League and second team All-State in the discus throw
. Vincent Manuwai graduated from Farrington High School in 1999.
, where he played for the Hawaii Warriors football
team. He was a three-year starter
and play all position on the line. He was regarded as one of the best pass protectors in the country. He did not allow a sack
in his last 35 games as a starter with 60 knockdowns. Manuwai honors include:All-America
first-team choice by College Football News
as a senior, All-WAC
first-team, received the Warrior Club Award (team’s best player). He majored in sociology.
in the third round (72nd pick overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft
.
Manuwai has been one of the key factors in Jacksonville's rushing success. Through the 2007 season
, Manuwai started all but one game for the Jaguars and was the most successful player on the offensive line. With Manuwai as guard, the Jaguars offense rushed for 2,541 yards in 2006 and 2,391 in 2007. In 2008, however, he suffered anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL) and medial collateral ligament
(MCL) injuries and was placed on injured reserve
for the remainder of the season. He returned in 2009, and spent the season overcoming his injury and other obstacles. In 2010 he was replaced on the starting line by Justin Smiley
. He recovered the starting spot when Smiley was injured in October, and has been a significant factor in the emergence of Jacksonville's formidable running game.
On July 29, 2011, Manuwai was released by Jacksonville.
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...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
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....
. Originally, he was selected in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. 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...
for the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
Warriors
Hawaii Warriors football
The Hawaii Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team, which is currently coached by Greg McMackin, is part of the Western Athletic Conference until 2012, when the team joins the Mountain West Conference.The Hawaii Warriors...
.
Early years
Manuwai was born in Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. He attended Farrington High School
Farrington High School
Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School is a public secondary school located in the Kalihi district of Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Hawaii....
in Honolulu, where he earned varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s three times each 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....
and track and field
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...
and once in 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...
. In football, he earned All-Conference and All-State honors. In track and field, he was All-League in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, and first team All-League and second team All-State in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
. Vincent Manuwai graduated from Farrington High School in 1999.
College career
Manuwai attended the University of HawaiiUniversity of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, where he played for the Hawaii Warriors football
Hawaii Warriors football
The Hawaii Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team, which is currently coached by Greg McMackin, is part of the Western Athletic Conference until 2012, when the team joins the Mountain West Conference.The Hawaii Warriors...
team. He was a three-year starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
and play all position on the line. He was regarded as one of the best pass protectors in the country. He did not allow a sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
in his last 35 games as a starter with 60 knockdowns. Manuwai honors include:All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
first-team choice by College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
as a senior, All-WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
first-team, received the Warrior Club Award (team’s best player). He majored in sociology.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Manuwai was drafted by the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round (72nd pick overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
.
Manuwai has been one of the key factors in Jacksonville's rushing success. Through the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, Manuwai started all but one game for the Jaguars and was the most successful player on the offensive line. With Manuwai as guard, the Jaguars offense rushed for 2,541 yards in 2006 and 2,391 in 2007. In 2008, however, he suffered anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
(ACL) and medial collateral ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
(MCL) injuries and was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
for the remainder of the season. He returned in 2009, and spent the season overcoming his injury and other obstacles. In 2010 he was replaced on the starting line by Justin Smiley
Justin Smiley
Justin Smiley is a former American football guard. He was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
. He recovered the starting spot when Smiley was injured in October, and has been a significant factor in the emergence of Jacksonville's formidable running game.
On July 29, 2011, Manuwai was released by Jacksonville.