Iosefa Overcoming DUI, Injury
May 4th, 2015
The Buccaneers’ seventh-round draft pick, Joey Iosefa, will compete to be the Bucs fullback, general manager Jason Licht said on Saturday.
But did the Bucs get a potential steal because of Iosefa’s past?
The folks keeping track of University of Hawaii football think so. Iosefa had a great season (617 yards on 151 carries and eight TDs) as a running back last year, despite being suspended three games for a DUI charge (blew twice the legal limit) and missing four games with a foot injury.
It’s a pretty safe bet that injuries and a mug shot cost him in the draft.
The Bucs’ signing Iosefa feels like the classic case of a team on the east coast locking up a player on the west coast because it believes it has no chance of signing the player as an undrafted free agent.
An American Samoan native and prep star like Iosefa probably would have chosen to be much closer to home, and the Bucs would have been low on his wish list with multiple teams pursuing him as an undrafted player.
Enjoy the Iosefa video below. He’s big news on the Big Island.
May 4th, 2015 at 11:19 am
That pic of him is seared into my skull.
I remember the Hawaii team did that goofy cultural dance intended to intimidate the opponent again Georgia a few years back.
And promptly got stomped by 50. Major lame.
May 4th, 2015 at 11:33 am
im glad we only used a 7rnder on him, I think I would’ve used it differently, but that’s why im not a gm
May 4th, 2015 at 11:43 am
I thought the same thing, Joe.
As soon as i saw where he was from, i just knew that was the case.
May 4th, 2015 at 11:43 am
I agree that it wasn’t the greatest pick, but am happy we got a couple of the “8th” rounders we got especially Delaire the DE who was rated as a 6th or 7th rounder. Hopefully he becomes a rotational player for us. Also Hackett the Safety will be worth looking at. But the key will be the fact that we have the first pick on the waiver wire until september. We shoud be able to pick up one or two players. I just feel so much more comfortable with our depth this year. Feel we will be losing SEVERAL players that played diminished roles for us the last couple of years. GO BUCS!~~
May 4th, 2015 at 11:44 am
LMao that OL Dancin at the end
May 4th, 2015 at 11:55 am
I’m really concerned about this guy’s decision making ability. He has a lot of maturing that he needs to do and I”m not sure if I’m ready to trust him with this franchise.
May 4th, 2015 at 11:56 am
The future “I-Train”?
May 4th, 2015 at 12:02 pm
I’d rather have had Ifo..
May 4th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
Why be concerned? He’s a 7th round pick. Those guys get cut more than old T-shirts. My concern is that we never got into a position to grab a decent DE but that really has more to do with how the draft went than anything that L&L did. My thinking is that we limp along and hope someone is released and/or address DE in next year’s draft.
May 4th, 2015 at 12:28 pm
@Luther – It was sarcasm. I was just poking fun at everyone who made such a big deal about character issues being a reason to not take other people in the draft or FA but, with this guy, it’s not an issue. We only need high character guys when they’re going to be big producers, evidently.
May 4th, 2015 at 12:35 pm
After watching all available vids I could find I saw that It took at least two guys to tackle him sometimes 4, sometimes 6. He looks for contact, he catches really well, he blocks and throws TD passes. I see him in a goalline package, anywhere inside the 12 he’s money. That is if he makes the team.
Kinda remind me of the Vikings rb Asiata.
May 4th, 2015 at 12:53 pm
Last year after Lansanah went down we had no one to block for our backs until we moved Stocker to the H Back position which took our esteemed OC four or five games to figure out.
The team needs two FB’s and he can play special teams no doubt.
May 4th, 2015 at 12:57 pm
^^ Lane, not Lansanah.
May 4th, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Haha…sorry Patrick…I missed the sarcasm font 🙂
For the record, I’m not worried about Jameis either.
May 4th, 2015 at 1:01 pm
I think the kids got a legit shot from the vids i’ve seen. The DUI was a one time incident for which he was remorseful I’ve read. It will be interesting to see how he does.
May 4th, 2015 at 2:16 pm
The Bucs have proven in this draft the character means zero to the team…………….
May 4th, 2015 at 2:25 pm
Wow. Call this guy Avalanche. Once he gets going he caries everything in front of him with him. That is some power running. Could be an absolute steal.
May 4th, 2015 at 2:48 pm
Visions of Winner doing the Samoan war dance. Lol.
Work hard, play hard. That’s all I’m saying.
May 4th, 2015 at 3:04 pm
I remember the Hawaii team did that goofy cultural dance intended to intimidate the opponent again Georgia a few years back.
And promptly got stomped by 50. Major lame.”
———
This is yet another example of someone talking out of their arse. First of all, you can call it a lot of things, but goofy is a terribly inaccurate description. Second, they’ve been doing the haka at every game since June Jones became the coach, so it was not just a one game thing. They did it before they played Alabama a few years prior, and preceded to beat the the Tide. It is also not directed at the other team. Hawaii has a ton of Polynesian players (shocker), and that’s just what they do. It’s no different than Drew Brees (and just about every other team) doing his chant thing before every game. It fires them up. It’s unique to Hawaii, and most visiting fans love it. I just wish if you don’t understand what’s happening, you would do just a tiny bit of research so you don’t look like an idiot.
May 4th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
He was part of a very bad University of Hawaii football team, but he was one of the few bright spots. He also did what he did with an absolutely awful offensive line. He is a load to bring down, and pretty good in pass protection. I think he’s got a good chance to beat out Lane, but it should be an interesting battle.
May 4th, 2015 at 4:50 pm
Thank you for your insight HawaiianBuc! I have been waiting for your thoughts on the guy since they drafted him.
May 4th, 2015 at 6:02 pm
If he makes the team, I wonder if he will do the Haka on his own? I bet it would get national attention. I’m all for it, hope he beats out Lane. Lane somewhat did his job, but was uneventful. We need players who are about something even if you don’t understand it at first 🙂
May 4th, 2015 at 6:03 pm
I like the idea of drafting him but why couldn’t we’ve done the same with Collins the LSU OT?
May 4th, 2015 at 7:08 pm
I dunno- inferred canabalism might bring a certain intimadation factor . . .
Our running game died when we lost our FB last year. And improved upon his return.
Room for Lane and the I-Train on this team
Gotta fly straight though, no more booze and driving! You can be a star here- but it’s also a long greyhound ride from here to Hawaii
And to quote Andre2000
“greyhound don’t float on water!”
May 4th, 2015 at 7:09 pm
If he helps us win- the whole stadium can do “the Haka”
May 4th, 2015 at 7:12 pm
If he and lane stay that means Martin or James have to go. Probably james but that’s a mistake imo. Simms can’t do anything better than James, nothing!!
May 4th, 2015 at 7:14 pm
June Jones had the team do the haka mainly because he recruited so many from the Polynesian Islands, it was a way to appeal to them. It also shined a little light on a program that was nearly extinct before he took over. And guess what, it worked! Throughout the nation people associate the haka with the University of Hawaii. It’s a pretty cool thing (especially in person), and from my experience, the visiting team’s fans look forward to it. It’s kind of like going to a luau, but with the threat of getting the sh!t kicked out of you, lol.
May 4th, 2015 at 10:43 pm
haka is done throughout certain parts of the world. it is ceremonial and cultural. it was a very ignorant and silly statement above by a moron.
go tell the new zealand rugby team that the haka is “goofy”, you silly dolt.
May 4th, 2015 at 11:48 pm
I remember the Hawaii team did that goofy cultural dance intended to intimidate the opponent again Georgia a few years back.
I agree with Hawaiianbuc buddhaboy that was ignorant. Last I checked he is on our favorite football team n looks like a beast. I’m excited to see what he can do. We finally have a true power back for our short yardage n redzone areas. Evans is going to be beast this year! So will asj. An improved o line too! Can’t wait for this season
May 5th, 2015 at 12:14 am
Brandonbucsfan I hope chris hackett makes the team. He’s solid in coverage against tes across the middle rbs in the flat n wrs over top. He looks like he’s got great instincts n awareness. His coaches sent a corner on a blitz in the redzone n left him one on one. The cb got the sack but he had great coverage on that wr. I think it was the Oklahoma game. He does need to be a consistent wrap up tackler tho. He’s got some speed I was hoping we’d have drafted him but free agency is better than nothing. We need to sign la’el collins when he gets cleared.
May 5th, 2015 at 2:06 am
I know 7th round picks are usually a crapshoot but I feel like this is a wasted pick, this guy is definitely just a UDFA camp body.
May 5th, 2015 at 2:31 am
“…suspended three games for a DUI charge…”
Wait. THREE TIMES????!!!!!!!
Once is bad enough, but this kid got busted 3 times???
Certainly he wasn’t suspended 3 times for the same incident, right?
Am I the only one who has a problem with this obvious issue?
May 5th, 2015 at 10:54 am
@BuccaneerBonzai,
You must have been very tired. He was suspended 3 games for one DUI. Lol