Maiava drafted by Browns in fourth round
By ROBERT COLLIASWAILUKU --- Kaluka Maiava went to bed Saturday night after seeing on ESPN that he was the network's top-ranked outside linebacker available coming into the second day of the NFL Draft.
After a stressful night, the 2005 Baldwin High School graduate and second-team Pac-10 standout for Southern California in 2008 awoke about 5 a.m. in Wailuku and turned on the TV.
The anxious time grew into anger as he watched inside linebackers Jason Williams of Western Illinois go to the Dallas Cowboys with the 69th pick, Deandre Levy of Wisconsin picked by the Detroit Lions at No. 76 and Tyrone McKenzie of South Florida grabbed by the New England Patriots 97th.
''Well, I was checking in and I was projected as the best outside linebacker available to go in the third and beyond rounds and a few outside linebackers went before me today,'' Maiava said. ''I was getting mad. After the last outside linebacker to go before me, I went to take a shower.''
Then, of course, the call Maiava has been waiting for all his life came. The Cleveland Browns had taken him with the 104th pick --- the fourth selection of the fourth round.
''The call came from coach (Eric) Mangini and I missed that,'' Maiava said. ''I called him right back, and he answered, 'Who is this?' I said, 'Someone called me, this is Kaluka Maiava.' He said, 'This is coach Mangini, I don't know if you are up yet, but I am about to take you.' ''
Thus, at about 6:20 a.m. HST Sunday, Maiava officially became the first Mauian ever drafted by an NFL team.
''I just kept saying, 'Thank you, thank you.' I must have said a million thank yous,'' Maiava said. ''This has been my dream since the 2nd grade. I walked in to the living room, my dad (Scott Mahoney) was watching. I woke my mom (Katherine Mahoney) up, but I didn't tell them and then they saw on TV. I started for one season at USC and now the Cleveland Browns have drafted me. It is really unbelievable.''
Among the many phone calls on Sunday morning --- a conference call with Cleveland media, calls to older brother Ilima Mahoney, younger brother Kai Maiava, an offensive lineman at UCLA, his older sister and many friends and other relatives --- was one to his former Baldwin teammate Kendall Grove.
Grove is a UFC star who runs a gym in Wailuku.
''Being the first from Maui (to be drafted into the NFL), it hasn't really kicked in yet, it hasn't really got into me,'' Maiava said. ''But I just got off the phone with Kendall Grove, a guy I really look up to. He said, 'It is nice to know we have another professional athlete from Maui.' Hearing stuff like that from an athlete like him, it pumps me up even more.''
The Browns seem pleased to get a player with that type of mentality.
''It was a comment by a lot of people at USC that this is a kid --- he's as tough as they come,'' Cleveland general manager George Kokinis said in a news conference that was posted on clevelandbrowns.com. ''That was a line that we repeatedly got about this kid.''
In case Maiava needs any more incentive when he leaves Wednesday for his first minicamp Thursday through Sunday, he got it when he looked at the Browns' Web site and saw a picture of former USC linebacker Oscar Lua where Maiava was supposed to be.
Lua wore No. 45 for the Trojans, Maiava No. 43.
That came after a week of ESPN analysts Mel Kiper Jr. mispronouncing his last name ''May-ah-Voo'' and Todd McShay calling him ''Kaluka Moevao.'' Even on NFL.com's draft list Sunday, he was mistakenly listed as an inside linebacker.
''I am ready to show what Maui boys can do,'' Maiava said. ''By the end of my stay they will have the right picture up. All that just adds to the fire because nobody knows who I am. I will show them who I am. My linebacker coach at USC, Ken Norton Jr., always told me, 'You have got to make them feel you.'
''In the time I'm there, hopefully I make an impact and they will have the right picture up and they will know exactly who I am and how to say my name.''
Maiava is familiar with a few of his Browns draft classmates. Cleveland took California center Alex Mack in the first round, No. 21 overall --- Maiava was on the other side of the line in Pac-10 play four times against Mack. The Browns selected Hawaii outside linebacker David Veikune with the No. 52 pick and Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie 36th overall, both in the second round. Cleveland also took San Jose State defensive back Coye Francies, formerly of Oregon State, in the sixth round.
Robiskie played for a team that Maiava's Trojans defeated 35-3 last October.
''Veikune, we trained together before the pro days, we trained in Carson (Calif.) together and we have the same agent,'' Maiava said. ''That will definitely help to know someone as well as I know him. We will be freezing together across the country. No more surf shorts and slippers for either one of us. It'll be great to go all the way across the country and be able to help each other out.''
Maiava will leave Wednesday for minicamp and said he has told agent Kenny Zuckerman of Priority Sports to get a contract done as soon as possible. Maiava's hamstring is still a little sore after he strained it running a 40-yard dash at USC's pro day April 1.
''I'm not sure what I'm going to do after mini camp --- come back here or go to L.A. to rehab,'' he said. ''The hammy is still a little sore, but I am just focused on minicamp and learning the defense as quick as possible.''
During his conversations Sunday morning, a friend wished him well in his new job.
''This is my first job. I have never worked before,'' Maiava said. ''My friend said, 'Congrats on your first job.' I thought 'that is hilarious --- that's quite a job to have for your first one.' ''
On the phone with Kai Maiava, also a Baldwin graduate, Kaluka didn't get any breaks.
''He told me he is next --- 'Wait until I get to the league so I can pancake you' --- and I said, 'Yeah, right,' '' Maiava said.
Maiava said he was surprised Cleveland was the team that called his name, after fellow USC linebackers Brian Cushing (No. 15 to the Houston Texans), Clay Matthews (No. 26 to the Green Bay Packers), and Rey Maualuga (No. 38 to the Cincinnati Bengals) all went on the first day.
The bottom line for Maiava? He is ready to start playing football for a living and make a statement on the banks of Lake Erie.
''Somebody else called me 'Rey Maiava' on TV the other day, so like I said about the (Web site) picture, they can't even say my name, they mix and match my name,'' Maiava said. ''Things like that just feeds the fire for me. I have to prove myself. I have had to prove myself my whole life --- they said I wasn't good in high school, they said I'd never make it at USC. This is just another chapter. I thank everybody who has supported me, but the guys who have doubted me have helped me the most.''
Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com
