New York Jets Sione Pouha

Professional career
[edit]2005

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

◊ For his career, he has appeared in 62 games with 15 starts since being drafted in 2005.

◊ Has amassed career totals of 133 tackles, four passes defensed and a half-sack.

◊ Set career-high in games started (14) and tackles (61) in 2009 after stepping in for an injured Kris Jenkins.

◊ Has made starts at defensive tackle and nose tackle in his career, starting the final 10 games of the regular season and all three postseason games in 2009 at nose tackle.

◊ Made his postseason debut in 2009 and recorded 10 tackles in the Jets three playoff games.

Pouha, who was considered a "project" player,[4] was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Pouha would appear in fourteen games as a rookie, recording ten tackles and one pass defended.
[edit]2006

Following his rookie season, Pouha suffered a torn ACL on the fourth day of training camp and was subsequently placed on the injured reserve list.[3]
[edit]2007

Motivated following his ACL injury which sidelined him in 2006,[3][4] Pouha would play in all sixteen games during the season, starting one game. Pouha recorded 39 tackles and had one pass defended.
[edit]2008

Pouha would once again appear in all of the team's sixteen matchups, recording 23 tackles, and would record his first half-sack of his career against the New England Patriots' Matt Cassel.
[edit]2009

Pouha went into the 2009 season as the back-up defensive tackle. Six games into the season, the Jets would lose Pro Bowl starter Kris Jenkins who tore his ACL. The injury would thrust Pouha into the spotlight as he became the team's starting nose tackle, starting the team's next thirteen games. Pouha would achieve multiple career highs, starting a career-high fourteen games and making a career 61 tackles, 34 of which were solo. Pouha and fellow teammate Mike DeVitowould help improve the rushing defense from twenty-first to fourth overall in the NFL.[5][6]
[edit]2010

Pouha started the first game of the 2010 season alongside a returning Kris Jenkins. Six plays into the team's Monday night matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Jenkins would once again tear his ACL.[7] Pouha, again, assumed Jenkins' role as nose tackle alongside teammates Mike DeVito and Howard Green.[7] Pouha is considered to be an excellent run-stopper and as the season progresses, the team would like to see Pouha more involved in pass-rushing and getting to the quarterback.[7]
[edit]Personal

Pouha was born to Sonasi and Susana Pouha.[5] He married his college sweetheart, Keiti Kaufusi Pouha, while he was still attending the University of Utah.[1] The couple have four children, two sons, Viliami and Sonasi; and two daughters, Leilani and Kesaia.[5] Pouha is of Tongan descent.[7]

Pouha majored in behavior science and health.[5]

Pouha created a beverage business named Bula.[1] Pouha has described the beverage as a "relaxation drink" that is a combination of kava and valerian root.[1] The drink is currently sold online and in stores in northern California.[1