Al Mitchell Afalava (born January 20, 1987) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Oregon State Beavers The Oregon State Beavers are the sport, athletic teams that represent Oregon State University, located in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Division I ...

and was selected by the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

in the sixth round of the

2009 NFL draft The 2009 NFL draft was the 74th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft c ...

. He also played for the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

and

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

Early years

Al Afalava was born in

Lāʻie, Hawaii Lāie () is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the Koolauloa District on the island of Oahu () in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. In Hawaiian, means " leaf" ( is a climbing screwpine: '' Freycinetia arborea''). The population ...

, on January 20, 1987. He played high school football at

Kahuku High & Intermediate School Kahuku High & Intermediate School, located in Kahuku CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, on the island of Oahu, serves approximately 1,850 students in grades seven through twelve and is part of the Windward District on the i ...

. As a junior, he led Kahuku to a 10-2 record and an appearance in the semifinals of the 2004 state playoffs. The team, ranked No. 14 in the West, won the

Oahu Interscholastic Association The Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) is an athletic conference composed of all public secondary schools on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A. The OIA was first founded in 1940 as the Rural Oahu Interscholastic Association (ROIA). The five ...

. He was named first-team All-State as a senior and led his team to state title and 14-0 record as a junior. He played in the state's Goodwill Football Classic All-Star game and was named a SuperPrep Magazine All-Region team member. As a two-sport athlete, Afalava was given a two-star ranking by Scout.com, which rated him as the second-best defensive back on the Hawaiian Islands.

Collegiate career

2005

Afalava was the only true-freshman to start for the Oregon State University Beavers Football team in 2005. He missed two games with a knee injury. He made 32 tackles on the season. His six tackles against WSU included a touchdown saving tackle on tight end Troy Bienemann at the 1-yard line. That same game he forced a fumble that set up a go-ahead touchdown. He made eight tackles in the Civil War rivalry game against the Oregon Ducks.

2006

Afalava started nine times for the Beavers at free safety in 2006, including the last four games. He had 35 tackles for the season. His first career interception came against Arizona State quarterback

Rudy Carpenter Rudy Carpenter (born April 15, 1986) is an American former professional football quarterback. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Arizona State. Early life Carpenter led Westlak ...

. He also forced a fumble against Oregon.

2007

In 2007, Afalava was the third-leading tackler on the Beavers football team with 64, including 56 solo tackles. He had a career-high 11 tackles at Arizona State and 10 in the season opener vs. Utah. He recovered two fumbles for the season, both against UCLA, returning one 33 yards in the first quarter for a touchdown. He earned a Pac-10 Honorable Mention.

2008

In the 2008 season, Afalava recorded 36 tackles, two interceptions, and eight pass break-ups. He was selected to a Pac-10 Honorabe Mention for the second year in a row.

Professional career

Chicago Bears

Afalava was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round (190th overall) of the

. During the

2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL). The 50th anniversary of the original eight charter members of the American Football League was celebrated during this season. The preseason started ...

he started 13 games and ranked second on the team with six passes defensed. He recorded 53 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He was waived by the Bears on September 4, 2010.

Indianapolis Colts

Afalava was signed by the Indianapolis Colts on November 23, 2010. During the

2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season (NFL), regular season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 45th of the Super Bowl era. The regular season began with the National Football League Kickoff game, NFL Kickoff game on NBC S ...

, he appeared in four games on special teams. He was waived on September 3, 2011 in the final preseason roster cutdown.

Tennessee Titans

Afalava signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent on January 5, 2012. During the

2012 NFL season The 2012 NFL season was the 93rd season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 47th of the Super Bowl era. It began on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, with the defending Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants falling to the Dallas Cowbo ...

he played in 12 games with two starts during the 2012 season. He was waived by the Titans on August 31, 2013.

Personal life

Afalava has four sons with his wife.

References

External links

Oregon State Beavers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afalava, Al 1987 births Living people American sportspeople of Samoan descent Sportspeople from Laie Players of American football from Honolulu County, Hawaii American football safeties Oregon State Beavers football players Chicago Bears players Indianapolis Colts players Tennessee Titans players Pacific Islander American players of American football