flgreen Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Phone call changed life of Jets' Tevaseu Jets Blog By BRIAN COSTELLO Last Updated: 8:31 AM, August 24, 2011 Posted: 2:17 AM, August 24, 2011 More Print Sometimes one phone call can change your life. For Martin Tevaseu, he placed that call in the spring of 2007 to Lenny Wagner, the defensive coordinator at Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College. Tevaseu had played defensive tackle for Wagner two years earlier before transferring to Arizona State. Things did not work out with the Sun Devils, and now Tevaseu was back in his hometown of San Lorenzo, Calif., facing a dilemma. The night before, someone broke into his cousin Isaac’s house and shot him. Isaac died, and now Tevaseu’s friends and family were turning to him to lead the posse that would get revenge. UPDATES FROM OUR JETS BLOG At this point, football seemed like a memory. He had ballooned up to over 400 pounds. He was running with a bad crowd. And now, they were all telling him to avenge his cousin’s death. Something in Tevaseu told him to call Wagner first and ask his advice. “You need to leave now,” Wagner told him, “or you’re going to end up the same way.” Four years later, Tevaseu stands on a practice field at the Jets’ headquarters, remembering that conversation with Wagner. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here right now,” Tevaseu said. Where Tevaseu is right now is on the Jets for the second straight year, this time with a good chance of making the team. Last year, he spent the entire season on the practice squad until the AFC Championship Game when he was activated. The Jets coaches are high on Tevaseu. The 23-year-old started Sunday night against the Bengals, with regular nose tackle Sione Pouha (knee) out. It was telling that Tevaseu got the start over third-round pick Kenrick Ellis. “He played really well,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “He is really coming. There’s a guy that’s going to be hard to push off this roster.” If Tevaseu sticks with the Jets, it won’t be the first time he’s overcome the odds against him. He grew up in San Lorenzo with his father in prison and violence around him. His older brother, Logo, was arrested at 14 but was spared jail when a group home in Boonville, Calif., agreed to take him in. A few years later, Logo brought Martin to the group home to escape San Lorenzo. Tevaseu began playing football at Anderson Valley High School, a school out in the country of about 300 kids where there were no more than 15 players on the team. They played on a field used for rodeos, and coaches turned on their headlights when it got dark during practice. His brother had gone on to Santa Rosa Junior College, where Wagner is the defensive coordinator. Martin began hanging around the school at 15. “He looked like he was 25 when he was 15,” Wagner said. “He was hard not to have on the radar.” Tevaseu followed his brother to Santa Rosa, and then went to Arizona State. A leg injury and coaching change led to him leaving school and slipping back into the San Lorenzo street life. After Wagner convinced him to return to Santa Rosa, he transferred to UNLV after losing over 100 pounds he had gained. He was a two-year starter for the Running Rebels. Tevaseu went undrafted in 2010, and then signed with the Browns, who released him a month later. He returned to California and began coaching at Mendocino College when his agent called and said he had a tryout with the Jets a day later. He impressed the coaches when he never missed a practice after breaking his left hand on the third day of training camp. He spent the year on the practice squad before getting his chance against the Steelers in the AFC title game when the Jets needed some depth on the D-line. The Wednesday before the game, Ryan informed the team that Tevaseu would be active. The room began to applaud. “It meant a lot,” Tevaseu said. “It meant that they trusted me. If everyone was like, ‘Uh oh, I don’t know’ my confidence would have went down.” Friday, Tevaseu was lining up to play on the scout-team offense. He shouted “I’ve got left tackle.” Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine told him to get with the starting defense instead. After practice, he placed another phone call to Wagner — this one to tell him he would be starting for the Jets. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/phone_call_changed_life_of_jets_fuVSlPAQ43pXXoWfM8zQUN#ixzz1VxPybU9j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JiFtheOracle Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Great story...he looked good the other night. So weird, Imgay4ever said we have no DL depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted August 24, 2011 Author Share Posted August 24, 2011 Great story...he looked good the other night. So weird, Imgay4ever said we have no DL depth. he did play prety well the other night. I don't think he had any stats (Damn no sacks) but nobody pushed him out of there. Hope the kid makes it. It at least seems like he'll make the team. Rex likes guys like him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JiFtheOracle Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 he did play prety well the other night. I don't think he had any stats (Damn no sacks) but nobody pushed him out of there. Hope the kid makes it. It at least seems like he'll make the team. Rex likes guys like him No, he didnt have any stats, but he seemed to be holding the point of attack really well. Looked like he was occupying 2 blockers at a time and as usual, they were stout against the run. I'm just really excited about how many bodies Rex can rotate on the line that arent gassed after a couple of series. Looks like they have a bunch of high motor type players who will win the war of the LOS...which is how the Jets win and lose games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonehands Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 He will never survive waivers after the Giants injury to Austin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted August 24, 2011 Author Share Posted August 24, 2011 He will never survive waivers after the Giants injury to Austin. Why would he go through waivers? He finished the season on the 53 last year, is having a good camp, Rex is talking him up to a point that he just started a game when the starter was hurt. Think he makes the roster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedin Green Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Awesome to hear, and I think he's definitely going to make this team. Rex isn't one to screw around, especially not when it comes to DL, and MTV getting activated for the first time in the AFC Championship should tell you a hell of a lot about what Rex saw out of him over the course of the year. Him getting the start over Ellis certainly says a lot too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonehands Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Why would he go through waivers? He finished the season on the 53 last year, is having a good camp, Rex is talking him up to a point that he just started a game when the starter was hurt. Think he makes the roster The Jets did not carry 3 NT's last year. They had Howard Green on and off during the season, but did not carry 3 continually. He will be the third NT this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryno the Jet Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Certainly think this guy makes the roster, and should be a regular in the d-line rotation. He is another no-name D-lineman that Rex and Co. have managed to groom. He should be loyal to the Jets too, being that they gave him his first real shot. The D-line should be solid for years to come, and if Mo and Ellis come close to their hype, the D-line could be amazing for years. This should be the best defense assembled during Rex's time with the Jets. Suddenly, d-line depth looks great, and the OLBs might just be improved with a healthy Pace (fingers crossed), Westerman playing decent, and Maybin surprising already. We already know the ILBs are two of the best in the Biz and the secondary will be nails! Could be best Jets D ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNJet Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Nothing against the kid but I was upset he got more PT than Ellis. Ellis dominated with the 2's last week, and with the 3's he was hung out to dry without any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryno the Jet Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Nothing against the kid but I was upset he got more PT than Ellis. Ellis dominated with the 2's last week, and with the 3's he was hung out to dry without any help. The coaching staff needed to know for sure that MTV is the guy they think he is. Ellis is not going anywhere, obviously. The third game should be fun, even if SP is back. You should see more defensive fronts using multiple arrangements of players. Imagine MTV and Ellis lined up side by side in obvious run situations! This is more of an embarrassment of riches scenario, not an issue with K. Ellis. He will be the beast your avatar says he will, fear not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 The Jets did not carry 3 NT's last year. They had Howard Green on and off during the season, but did not carry 3 continually. He will be the third NT this year. Actually he's the 2nd NT. Ellis is the 3rd. They lost Ellis and Gholston and carried guys like Green and Kroul for much of last year. IMO MTV sticks ahead of guys like Gilbert. They added Wilkerson, Ellis, Pitoitua. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HessStation Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 he did play prety well the other night. I don't think he had any stats (Damn no sacks) but nobody pushed him out of there. Hope the kid makes it. It at least seems like he'll make the team. Rex likes guys like him No sacks. He sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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