Netane Muti
{{Short description|Tongan gridiron football player (born 1999)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Netane Muti
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Detroit Lions
| number = 52
| position = Guard
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|3|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 325
| high_school = Leilehua {{avoid wrap|(Wahiawa, Hawaii, U.S.)}}
| college = Fresno State (2016–2019)
| draftyear = 2020
| draftround = 6
| draftpick = 181
| pastteams =
- Denver Broncos ({{NFL Year|2020}}–{{NFL Year|2022}})
- Las Vegas Raiders ({{NFL Year|2022}}–{{NFL Year|2023}})
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2024}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
| statleague = NFL
| statseason = 2024
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 22
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 4
| pfr = MutiNe00
}}
Netane Muti (born 27 March 1999) is a Tongan professional American football guard for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).{{Cite web |date=25 April 2020 |title=Broncos add to O-line with Muti in Round 6 |url=https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/1970776 |access-date=29 May 2023 |website=theScore.com}} He played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs.
Early life
A two-way lineman for Leilehua,{{Cite web |title=2016 SIGNING DAY CENTRAL |url=https://hawaiiathletics.com/news/2016/1/29/FB_0129161334.aspx#Muti |access-date=12 January 2020 |website=hawaiiathletics.com |publisher=University of Hawai'i Athletics}} Muti was not highly recruited coming out of high school.{{Cite web |last=Kuwada |first=Robert |date=8 November 2017 |title=With twist on recruiting trail, Bulldogs' Muti will be on the road at home |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/sports/college/mountain-west/fresno-state/bulldogs-football/article183580611.html |access-date=12 January 2020 |website=fresnobee.com}} He originally committed to play for his home state's Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, signing a letter of intent with the University of Hawai'i on National Signing Day. However, after his application was put on hold due to a test score, he asked for and was granted release from U.H. and went on to sign with Fresno State.{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Jackson |date=8 June 2016 |title=Muti released from Hawaii, Fresno State bound |url=https://247sports.com/college/hawaii/Article/Netane-Muti-released-from-Hawaii-will-attend-Fresno-State-74986144/ |access-date=12 January 2020 |website=247Sports.com}}
College career
Muti redshirted in his first season at Fresno State following an Achilles injury suffered in preseason.
In 2017, as a redshirt freshman, Muti started all 14 games, as a member of an offensive line which ranked third in the nation in sacks and tackles for loss allowed. For his performance, he received Honorable Mention All-Mountain West Conference honors.{{Cite web |title=Netane Muti bio |url=https://gobulldogs.com/sports/football/roster/netane-muti/9312 |access-date=12 January 2020 |website=gobulldogs.com |publisher=Fresno State Athletics}}
In 2018, his campaign was cut short by a season-ending Achilles injury suffered in the third game of the season.{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Jackson |date=10 September 2018 |title=Fresno State starting left tackle Netane Muti out for the season |url=https://247sports.com/college/fresno-state/Article/Fresno-State-starting-left-tackle-Netane-Muti-out-for-the-season-121720499/ |access-date=12 January 2020 |website=247Sports.com}}
In 2019, as a redshirt junior, he was again struck by injury, as a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury sidelined him for the final nine games of the year.{{Cite web |date=16 October 2019 |title=JUST IN: Fresno State OL Netane Muti out for season with injury |url=https://247sports.com/college/fresno-state/Article/Fresno-State-Netane-Muti-injury-out-for-the-season-offensive-lineman-Bulldogs-lisfranc-2019-137069265/ |access-date=12 January 2020 |website=247Sports.com}}
In January 2020, despite having played only five full games over the previous two seasons, Muti announced that he would forgo his final season of college eligibility and declare for the 2020 NFL draft.{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Jackson |date=4 January 2020 |title=Fresno State star lineman Netane Muti declares for NFL Draft |url=https://247sports.com/college/fresno-state/Article/Fresno-State-football-Netane-Muti-NFL-Draft-2020-offensive-lineman-guard-tackle--141619051/ |access-date=12 January 2020 |website=247Sports.com}}{{Cite web |last=Murayama |first=Curtis |date=3 April 2020 |title=NFL Draft preview: Interior offensive linemen hold a key role for teams |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/04/03/sports/nfl-draft-preview-interior-offensive-linemen-hold-a-key-role-for-teams/ |website=Honolulu Star-Advertiser}}
Muti was cleared by doctors at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine,{{Cite web |last=DeArdo |first=Bryan |date=3 March 2020 |title=NFL Draft 2020: Netane Muti cleared by doctors at the combine, will participate at his pro day, per report |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/nfl-draft-2020-netane-muti-cleared-by-doctors-at-the-combine-will-participate-at-his-pro-day-per-report/ |access-date=29 May 2023 |website=CBSSports.com}} where his bench press was the highest total at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.{{Cite web |last=Ledbetter |first=D. Orlando |date=10 April 2020 |title=Top 10 guard/centers in the 2020 NFL draft |url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/football/top-guard-centers-the-2020-nfl-draft/1vbn6gOYCObjOG7FPey8LP/ |access-date=29 May 2023 |website=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 2 7/8
| weight = 315
| bench = 44
| arm span = 31 3/4
| hand span = 10 5/8
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |title=Netane Muti Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/netane-muti/32004d55-5420-4002-6769-0457c1bd7e5e |access-date=14 September 2020 |website=NFL.com}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1018282&DraftYear=2020 |title=Netane Muti College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=10 February 2025}}
}}
=Denver Broncos=
Muti was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 181st overall pick in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.{{Cite news |last=Murayama |first=Curtis |date=25 April 2020 |title=Former Leilehua and Fresno State standout Netane Muti drafted by Denver Broncos |work=Star Advertiser |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/04/25/sports/sports-breaking/former-leilehua-and-fresno-state-standout-netane-muti-drafted-by-denver-broncos/ |access-date=25 April 2020}} He was placed on the active/non-football injury list at the start of training camp on 28 July 2020,{{Cite news |last=DiLalla, Aric |date=28 July 2020 |title=Broncos place T Elijah Wilkinson on Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, G Netane Muti on Non-Football Injury (NFI) list |work=DenverBroncos.com |url=https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/broncos-place-t-elijah-wilkinson-on-physically-unable-to-perform-pup-list-g-neta |access-date=28 July 2020 |archive-date=30 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730082734/https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/broncos-place-t-elijah-wilkinson-on-physically-unable-to-perform-pup-list-g-neta |url-status=dead }} and he was moved back to the active roster six days later.{{Cite news |last=DiLalla, Aric |date=3 August 2020 |title=Broncos activate T Elijah Wilkinson from Physically Unable to Perform list, G Netane Muti from Non-Football Injury list |work=DenverBroncos.com |url=https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/broncos-activate-t-elijah-wilkinson-from-physically-unable-to-perform-list-g-net |access-date=3 August 2020 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805174159/https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/broncos-activate-t-elijah-wilkinson-from-physically-unable-to-perform-list-g-net |url-status=dead }}
On 30 August 2022, Muti was waived by the Broncos and signed to the practice squad the next day.{{Cite web |last=DiLalla |first=Aric |date=30 August 2022 |title=Broncos make series of roster moves to reach 53-player limit |url=https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/broncos-make-series-of-roster-moves-to-reach-53-player-limit |access-date=29 May 2023 |website=DenverBroncos.com}}{{Cite web |last=DiLalla |first=Aric |date=31 August 2022 |title=Josh Johnson, Kendall Hinton among 13 players signed to Broncos' practice squad |url=https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/josh-johnson-kendall-hinton-among-13-players-signed-to-broncos-practice-squad |access-date=29 May 2023 |website=DenverBroncos.com}}
=Las Vegas Raiders=
On 13 December 2022, Muti was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders off the Broncos practice squad.{{Cite web |date=13 December 2022 |title=Raiders place LB Jayon Brown on injured reserve, sign G Netane Muti |url=https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-sign-g-netane-muti-place-lb-jayon-brown-injured-reserve-nfl-transactions |access-date=29 May 2023 |website=Raiders.com}}
On 9 March 2023, Muti re-signed with the Raiders.{{Cite web |date=9 March 2023 |title=Raiders re-sign RB Ameer Abdullah and G Netane Muti |url=https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-re-sign-rb-ameer-abdullah-and-g-netane-muti-2023-nfl-transactions |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=Raiders.com}} He was waived on 29 August 2023 and re-signed to the practice squad.{{Cite web |date=29 August 2023 |title=Raiders finalize initial 53-man roster for the 2023 season |url=https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-finalize-initial-53-man-roster-2023-nfl-season-transactions-08292023 |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Raiders.com}}{{Cite web |date=30 August 2023 |title=Raiders announce practice squad additions |url=https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-announce-2023-practice-squad-additions-nfl-roster-transactions |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Raiders.com}} He was not among the players the team re-signed to reserve/future contracts after the season, and thus he became a free agent upon the expiration of his practice squad contract.{{Cite web |date=8 January 2024 |title=Raiders announce 15 Reserve/Future signings |url=https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-announce-reserve-future-signings-nfl-2024-transactions |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=raiders.com}}
=Detroit Lions=
On 6 February 2024, Muti signed a reserve/future contract with the Detroit Lions.{{Cite web |last=Risdon |first=Jeff |date=6 February 2024 |title=Lions sign another OL for the offseason |url=https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024/02/06/detroit-lions-netane-muti-reserve-future-contract-signing/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Lions Wire |publisher=USA Today}} He was placed on injured reserve on August 1.{{cite web | title=Lions' Netane Muti: Placed on injured reserve | website=CBSSports.com | date=2024-08-01 | url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/lions-netane-muti-placed-on-injured-reserve/ | access-date=2024-10-14}}
Personal life
Muti was born and raised in Tonga (where he learned to play rugby) before later moving to Wahiawa, Hawaii where he started to play football{{Cite web |last=Warszawski |first=Marek |date=22 December 2017 |title=For Bulldogs' Netane Muti, a trip to the Hawaii Bowl is a journey home |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/sports/college/mountain-west/fresno-state/bulldogs-football/article191356264.html |access-date=28 April 2020 |website=The Fresno Bee}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.detroitlions.com/team/players-roster/netane-muti/ Detroit Lions bio]
- [https://gobulldogs.com/sports/football/roster/netane-muti/9312 Fresno State Bulldogs bio]
{{Broncos2020DraftPicks}}
{{Detroit Lions roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muti, Netane}}
Category:Tongan players of American football
Category:People from Wahiawa, Hawaii
Category:Sportspeople from Honolulu County, Hawaii
Category:Players of American football from Hawaii
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Fresno State Bulldogs football players
Category:Denver Broncos players
Category:Tongan emigrants to the United States
Category:Las Vegas Raiders players
Category:Detroit Lions players
Category:Pacific Islander American players of American football