SAN ANTONIO — Bypassed in the NFL draft that ended Saturday, former UTSA linebacker Josiah Tauaefa didn't take long to catch on with a team as a free agent.
Tauaefa, who opted to skip his senior season in 2019 to turn pro, tweeted late Saturday afternoon that he's joining the New York Giants.
Tauaefa leaves UTSA as one of the best defensive players in the short history of the program. The university added football in 2009 and played its first game in 2011.
A Lake Dallas High School graduate, Tauaefa earned All-America honors as a redshirt freshman in 2016. He was one of 10 semifinalists last year for the Butkus Award, which honors the country’s top college linebacker.
Tauaefa led the Roadrunners with 113 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries as a junior. He also recorded 62 solo tackles and a pair of forced fumbles.
Relentless in his pursuit of ball carriers, Tauaefa anchored the UTSA defense for three seasons and ended his college career as the second-leading tackler in the program’s history with 257. His 113 tackles last season rank No. 2 in program history, behind the 115 he recorded in 13 games as a freshman.
