| California Golden Bears — No. 55 | |
| Nose tackle | Freshman |
| Major: Undeclared | |
| Date of birth: March 30, 1993 | |
| Place of birth: Sacramento, California | |
| Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | Weight: 350 lb (159 kg; 25 st 0 lb) |
| Career history | |
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| High school: Grant Union High School, Sacramento, California |
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College(s):
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at ESPN.com | |
Viliami Alfred Moala ( /ˌvɪliˈɑːmi moʊˈɑːlə/ vil-ee-ah-mee moh-ah-lə; born March 30, 1993) is an American football defensive tackle of Tongan descent. He committed to the University of California, Berkeley, and has been described by recruiters as the "jewel" of the 2011 Bears recruiting class.[1] Moala attended Grant Union High School in Sacramento, California.
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Already a 300-pounder at 13 years of age, Moala excelled in football very early. As a sophomore, he started at left guard and was a reserve defensive tackle, finishing the year with 55 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, four quarterback sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In the CIF Open Division state championship against perennial powerhouse Long Beach Poly, Moala helped Grant to a 25-20 upset.[2]
As a junior, Moala tallied 104 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks, and returned a blocked kick for a touchdown.[2] He was named California's Junior Player of the Year, the first lineman to do so since Manny Fernandez of San Lorenzo in 1962.[3]
In his senior year, Moala was part of a defense that allowed only 68 points and had eight shutouts, registering a record 83 sacks (of which Moala contributed 34½). Moala also had 286 tackles, eight fumble recoveries, and five blocked punts on the season. Grant Union won 13 consecutive games and was ranked among the top teams in nation until being upset by Folsom High School 41–20 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II football championship game.[4]
Regarded as a five-star recruit by Scout.com, Moala is listed as the No. 2 defensive tackle prospect in the class of 2011.[5][6] He and fellow teammate James Sample were selected to play in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[7][8] With offers from almost every BCS school, including Alabama, Miami (Fl.), USC, and Florida, Moala was considered Sacramento area's most heavily recruited prospect since Kevin Willhite of Cordova in 1981.[9] He announced his decision to attend the University of California, Berkeley at the Army All-American Bowl.[10]
Moala is the cousin of Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Fenuki Tupou, and USC Trojans defensive lineman Christian Tupou.
While a senior in high school, Moala bench-pressed 495 pounds (225 kg).[11] Said Jeff Tedford: "He's already got the Cal bench-press record before he even gets here".[12]