Eteva Mauga-Clements
{{short description|American Samoan gridiron football player (born 1999)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
|name=Eteva Mauga-Clements
|team=Edmonton Elks
|image=2024, 38, Eteva Mauga-Clements.jpg
|caption=Mauga-Clements with the Edmonton Elks in 2024
|status=Active
|import=Global
|position1=Linebacker
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1999|5|16}}
|birth_place=American Samoa
|number=38
|college=Nebraska
Diablo Valley
|high_school=College Park (Pleasant Hill, CA)
|CFLDraftedYear=2024G
|CFLDraftedRound=1
|CFLDraftedPick=1
|CFLDraftedTeam=Edmonton Elks
|height_ft=6
|height_in=0
|weight_lbs=218
|playing_years1={{IFL Year|2024}}
|playing_team1=Vegas Knight Hawks*
|playing_years2={{CFL Year|2024}}–present
|playing_team2=Edmonton Elks
|career_highlights=
|career_footnotes =
|CFL=eteva-mauga-clements
}}
Eteva Mauga-Clements (born May 16, 1999) is an American Samoan professional gridiron football linebacker for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Diablo Valley and Nebraska.
Early life
Mauga-Clements was born in American Samoa.{{cite web | url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/eteva-mauga-clements/168750/ | title=Eteva Mauga-Clements | publisher=cfl.ca | accessdate=15 August 2024}} He moved to the United States to attend College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, California.{{cite web | url=https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/season/2022/player/eteva-mauga-clements | title=Eteva Mauga-Clements | publisher=huskers.com | accessdate=15 August 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://www.cfl.ca/2024/04/23/draft-ready-4-things-to-know-about-eteva-mauga-clements/ | title=Draft Ready: 4 things to know about Eteva Mauga-Clements | publisher=cfl.ca | date=April 23, 2024 | accessdate=15 August 2024}}
College career
Mauga-Clements first played college football at Diablo Valley College from 2018 to 2019. He recorded 61 tackles, 7.0 sacks, one forced fumble, and two blocked kicks in 2019, earning Bay 6 Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors.
He transferred to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 2020 to 2022.{{cite web | url=https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/football/red-report-mauga-clements-time-to-shine-alante-browns-injury-history-cerni-learning-on-the/article_bd91ecc7-a2b1-51ef-97c6-99739b2282bd.html | title=Red Report: Mauga-Clements' time to shine; Alante Brown's injury history; Cerni learning on the fly | publisher=journalstar.com | date=September 8, 2021 | accessdate=15 August 2024 | author=Gabriel, Parker}}{{cite web | url=https://omaha.com/sports/huskers/football/eteva-mauga-clements-has-been-extremely-impressive-during-camp-but-it-didnt-happen-overnight/article_18a88274-1fdf-11ed-ba44-e3733b698d67.html | title=Eteva Mauga-Clements has been 'extremely impressive' during camp, but it didn't happen overnight | publisher=omaha.com | date=August 19, 2022 | accessdate=15 August 2024 | author=McAlpine, Jordan}} In the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Mauga-Clements played in all eight games, primarily on special teams, and made one tackle. He appeared in all 12 games in 2021, totaling five tackles and one pass breakup. He played in all 12 games, starting two, during the 2022 season, accumulating 39 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Mauga-Clements was named Academic All-Big Ten in both 2021 and 2022. He graduated with a criminology and criminal justice degree in December 2021.
Professional career
Mauga-Clements had briefly signed with the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League before deciding to pursue a career in the Canadian Football League (CFL).{{cite web | url=https://goifl.com/news/2024/5/6/football-former-vegas-knight-hawks-linebacker-draft-no-1-overall-in-cfl-global-draft.aspx | title=FORMER VEGAS KNIGHT HAWKS LINEBACKER DRAFTED NO. 1 OVERALL IN CFL GLOBAL DRAFT | publisher=goifl.com | date=May 6, 2024 | accessdate=15 August 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://www.goelks.com/2024/05/09/eteva-mauga-clements-in-search-of-an-opportunity/ | title=Eteva Mauga-Clements: In Search of an Opportunity | publisher=goelks.com | date=May 9, 2024 | accessdate=15 August 2024}}
He was selected by the Edmonton Elks with the first overall pick in the 2024 CFL global draft.{{cite web | url=https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/edmonton-elks-select-eteva-mauga-clements-first-overall-in-cfl-global-draft-1.2113448 | title=Elks select LB Mauga-Clements first overall in CFL Global Draft | publisher=tsn.ca | date=April 30, 2024 | accessdate=15 August 2024}} He officially signed with the team on May 6, 2024.{{cite web | url=https://www.footballdb.com/teams/cfl/edmonton-elks/transactions | title=Edmonton Elks Transactions | publisher=footballdb.com | accessdate=15 August 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Edmonton Elks roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mauga-Clements, Eteva}}
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Canadian football linebackers
Category:Diablo Valley Vikings football players
Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football players
Category:Vegas Knight Hawks players
Category:Edmonton Elks players
Category:Players of American football from American Samoa
Category:Players of Canadian football from American Samoa
Category:Pacific Islander American players of American football