Laki Tasi
| No. 79 – Las Vegas Raiders | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive lineman |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | 2003 or 2004 (age 21–22) Samoa |
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight: | 348 lb (158 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NFL draft: | 2025: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active/international |
Laki Tasi (born 2003 or 2004) is a Samoan-Australian American football defensive lineman for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Born in Samoa, he grew up in Brisbane, Australia, playing rugby league and rugby union. He switched to American football in 2024 and was selected for the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP) program.
Life and career
[edit]Tasi was born in 2003 or 2004 in Samoa.[1] He was one of seven children and later moved with his family to Australia, where they lived in a three-bedroom house in Brisbane.[1] At age 12, he started playing rugby league for the Goodna Eagles, before later transitioning to rugby union in high school.[2] He weighed 450 pounds (200 kg) but lost about 100 pounds (45 kg) in 2023, then joining the rugby club Queensland Samoa.[2]
Tasi said that around 2022, a family friend who owned a burger shop suggested he switch to American football.[1] Tasi was initially not interested, but the friend suggested it again in 2024 and Tasi decided to try it out.[1] He entered the NFL Academy in Gold Coast, Queensland, and in December 2024, he was chosen for the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP) program.[3][4] Becoming a defensive lineman, he trained with fellow IPP member Jordan Petaia at the NFL Asia Pacific Academy before later training with the other IPP members at IMG Academy in the U.S. state of Florida.[5]
Tasi measures at 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) and 347 pounds (157 kg), while having an arm length of 34.5 inches, among the longest of defensive linemen eligible for the 2025 NFL draft.[6][7] NFL analyst Scott Pioli cited Tasi as one of four IPP players to watch at the IMG Academy pro day, noting that he "has very good size and the tools to be a big interior defensive lineman, along with the toughness and makeup to play in the trenches. He possesses a strong and intriguing combination of developmental tools, stature and mindset."[8] After going unselected in the draft, he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on April 30, 2025, as an undrafted free agent.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Lewis Boucher, Dinah (April 23, 2025). "Samoan-Born, Australian Raised: Laki Tasi's quiet rise as he faces NFL draft". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ a b Jackson, Andrew (March 27, 2025). "Three Aussies audition for the NFL today. This is the 'crazy' reality behind their bold US bid". Fox Sports.
- ^ Momoisea, Penina; Brown, Christian (February 26, 2025). "New wave of NFL hopefuls Jordan Petaia and Laki Tasi aim to impress". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Collins, Ben (December 9, 2024). "Petaia, Stona & Sexton named in NFL's 2025 IPP class". BBC.
- ^ "Aussies eye NFL draft after Mailata's Super Bowl glory". Yahoo.com. Reuters. 23 April 2025.
- ^ Payton, Mike (April 9, 2025). "A giant Australian athletic freak has the attention of the Detroit Lions ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft". AtoZSports.com.
- ^ Long, Mark (April 22, 2025). "After a crash course in football from 'Last Chance U,' Mapalo Mwansa hopes to walk NFL draft stage". Star Tribune. Associated Press – via archive.today.
- ^ "Four NFL prospects to watch at 2025 International Player Pathway program pro day". National Football League. March 17, 2025.
- ^ "Raiders sign DL Laki Tasi". Las Vegas Raiders. April 30, 2025.