USC football countdown to kickoff—Rey Maualuga in focus
Position: Linebacker
Years played at USC: 2005-2008
Career highlights: Maualuga was part of a historic linebacker room at USC that also featured stars Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews III, and Kaluka Maiava. In his four seasons playing for the Trojans, USC made the Rose Bowl all four years, winning it three times.
Maualuga was named first-team all Pac-10 following the 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons. As a senior in 2008, he was also a unanimous All-American, the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, and won the Bednarik Award, given to the top defensive player in the country. To date, Mauluga is the only Trojan to have won the award.
After USC: The Cincinnati Bengals selected Maualuga in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played nine seasons in the league—eight with Cincinnati and one with the Miami Dolphins. In 2011, Maualuga had three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one interception. The following year, he recorded a career-high 122 total tackles.
Unfortunately, Maualuga's career and early retirement were marred by several legal issues, including multiple DUIs. After a 2021 arrest, Maualuga entered a substance abuse program, and has been sober since.
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