Mahelona is turning heads
Former Orange Coast College All-State defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona
has turned a stellar two-year career with the Pirates into headline
performances with the University of Tennessee and finds his name on
nearly every preseason All-American list headed into the 2005 season.
Perhaps the most well-known of the All-American teams is that
released by Playboy magazine, of which Mahelona is one of 11
defensive players chosen to the 49th edition.
Chosen to be a team captain this season, Mahelona was recently
named to the preseason All-American team of Rivals.com, ESPN and the
Blue Ribbon Yearbook to go along with the 2005 preseason
All-Southeastern Conference first team. The Volunteers are ranked No.
3 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and are the favorite
among many media outlets to defend their SEC Eastern Division title.
His first-season performances in the orange at Neyland Stadium in
Knoxville, Tenn., opened the eyes of many across the country, as he
tallied 18 1/2 tackles for a loss to lead the SEC. He totaled 42
tackles overall to be named an All-American by The Sporting News and
was a All-SEC selection by the Associated Press.
Mahelona was the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for the week of
November 6 with five tackles for loss in a 17-13 loss to Notre Dame,
the only player of a losing team to earn the honor all season.
His impact in just one season has impressed local media members
enough to include him on the “Best of the Last 20 Years” list for
Tennessee football by Jimmy Hyans of the Halls Shopper News. Familiar
names on that list include Jamal Lewis, Leonard Little, former
Outland Trophy winner John Henderson and defending NFL Most Valuable
Player Peyton Manning.
Currently ranked No. 27 among 2005 seniors by
collegefootballnews.com, Mahelona was named to both the Outland
Trophy and Nagurski watch lists, given to the top interior lineman
and best defensive player, respectively. He was the 16th selection of
the latest mock draft by the NFL Draft scout service and was put on
the cover of the Athlon Sports Southeastern preview.
Rounding out the potential awards was inclusion on the Ronnie Lott
Award watch list, given to the defensive player that makes the
greatest impact both on and off the field. Tennessee opens the 2005
season Sept. 3 at home against the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Locals in X Games
* EXTREME SPORTS: Costa Mesa residents Omar Hassan and Sandro
Dias, along with Newport Beach resident Jeff Ward, are scheduled to
compete in X Games 11 through Sunday in Los Angeles.
Ward will be competing in the supermoto race Sunday at the Home
Depot Center in Carson, while Dias is slated for the skateboard vert
best-trick finals Saturday. Hassan will vie for a spot in Sunday’s
skateboard big-air finals in the selection session Saturday.
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