J. R. Tavai

John Robert Tavai is a professional gridiron football defensive lineman for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL).[1] He played college football at Southern California. He was signed by Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2015.

J. R. Tavai
Tavai before a Redblacks game in 2019.
BC Lions
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1993-09-23) September 23, 1993
Inglewood, California
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:Mira Costa High School
College:USC
Undrafted:2015
Career history
Roster status:Active
CFL status:American
Career NFL statistics
Tackles:3
Sacks:1.0
Interceptions:0
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at CFL.ca

Professional career

Tennessee Titans

After going unselected in the 2015 NFL Draft, Tavai signed with the Tennessee Titans on May 11, 2015.[2] On September 5, he was waived for final roster cuts.[3] On November 11, 2015, he was signed to the practice squad. On December 12, 2015, he was promoted to the active roster.

On September 2, 2016, he was released by the Titans as part of final roster cuts.[4] He was signed to the practice squad on December 6, 2016.[5]

Ottawa Redblacks

On January 3, 2018, it was announced that Tavai had signed with the Ottawa Redblacks.[6] Over two seasons, he played in 22 regular season games, recording 57 defensive tackles, eight special teams tackles, seven sacks and four forced fumbles.

BC Lions

Upon entering free agency on February 11, 2020, Tavai signed with the BC Lions to a one-year contract.[7]

Personal life

Tavai is of Samoan descent.[8] His younger brother Jahlani, played football at Hawaii and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL Draft. His other younger brother Justus also plays for Hawaii.[9] His uncle, John Schuster is a former rugby union player who represented New Zealand as a member of the All Blacks.[8]

References
  1. "J. R. Tavai - USC". USC Trojans. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  2. "Titans Agree to Terms with 14 Undrafted Free Agents". TitansOnline.com. May 11, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  3. Kuharsky, Paul (September 5, 2015). "Tennessee Titans cut 18 players, including WR Hakeem Nicks". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  4. Wyatt, Jim (September 2, 2016). "Titans Down to 53 Players: A Position-by-Position Look". TitansOnline.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017.
  5. Morris, Jimmy (December 6, 2016). "Titans add J.R. Tavai to practice squad". MusicCityMiracles.com.
  6. "Transactions January 3, 2018". Ottawa Redblacks. January 3, 2018.
  7. {{cite web|url=https://www.bclions.com/2020/02/11/lions-land-defensive-lineman-j-r-tavai/%7Ctitle=Lions Land Defensive Lineman J.R. Tavai|publisher=BC Lions|date=February 11, 2020.
  8. Horne, Ben (22 August 2016). "GWS Giants share spotlight with US college stars". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  9. Spangler, Sam (8 February 2018). "QB's worst nightmare: Tavai multiplies on Hawaii defense". KHON2 News. Retrieved 6 November 2018.


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