Jahlani Tavai remembered when he first decided to turn a dream of playing in the NFL into a goal.
He was 9 years old.
“It was something I wanted to achieve for a long time,” said Tavai, a former University of Hawaii linebacker.
Tavai’s wish is expected to be realized with this week’s NFL Draft.
Various mock drafts place Tavai as early as a Friday selection, when the second and third rounds are announced. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay rated Tavai as the eighth-best inside linebacker in this draft class.
NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt listed Tavai at No. 99 on the “Hot 150” list of draft prospects. During Monday’s news conference, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. said, “Tavai, I like,” before offering a fourth-round prediction. Draftwire, which is part of USA Today’s Sports Media Group, gave Tavai a third-round projection.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time, just like I always have,” Tavai said. “I mean, there’s a lot of anxiety leading up to (the draft). Just working out eases my mind and keeps me calm. I’m just excited to be able to put some pads on again.”
Tavai vividly recalls the last time he was in full pads.
“October 20th,” Tavai said of the night he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Nevada. It was the ninth game of the season, and Tavai had accumulated a team-high 82 tackles.
It would be another three games before he would cede the lead. By then, he had undergone surgery at the prestigious Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, whose clientele includes the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Clippers and LA Galaxy.
The extensive rehabilitation prevented Tavai from participating in drills at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis or sprinting and lifting at UH’s pro day on the UCLA campus. But representatives from 22 NFL teams attended Tavai’s workout this month. Each team is allowed to invite up to 30 prospects for private workouts. The Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and New York Jets invited Tavai.
“It was a huge honor to get to meet with the owners, GMs, the head coaches, just the staffs in general,” Tavai said. “I know everybody who was in those footsteps before me knows that huge feeling. It was definitely something I didn’t want to take for granted. I made sure when I stepped into their facility, I knew what I was doing.”
Tavai, who is 6 feet 2, said he is about 250 pounds, his playing weight during his UH senior season. With the Warriors, he was used as a rush end, outside linebacker and middle linebacker. Tavai has been told he projects to compete at inside linebacker in the NFL. Scouts have been impressed with Tavai’s versatility — he is an accomplished rugby player — and downhill skills.
“There are so many things I can improve on, of course,” said Tavai, who draws advice from his older brothers. J.R. Tavai was a USC linebacker who played for the Tennessee Titans. Jordan Tavai was a defensive lineman for Kansas.
“Making it to the NFL has always been a goal of mine,” Jahlani Tavai said. “Hopefully, I can make that next step to becoming a professional player. … I love football. I’m not sure if anybody who hasn’t played the game would know the life lessons and all the things that come with football. The memories, of course, are the biggest things, and the bonds you create with your teammates.”
On Tuesday, Tavai brought along some former teammates to the NFL-sponsored, pre-draft event in Nashville. From there, Tavai and his friends will go to Henderson, Nev., for a draft-viewing party at a relative’s house. “I’ve got family there, and it’s a bigger house for my monstrous family,” he said.
