Jesse Steven Kahuanani Mahelona (April 7, 1983 – September 5, 2009) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

defensive tackle in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

. He was drafted by the

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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...

in the fifth round of the

2006 NFL Draft The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with add ...

. He played college football at

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. Mahelona was also a member of the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

, Atlanta Falcons, and

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...

College career

Mahelona attended and played college football at the University of Tennessee under head coach Phillip Fulmer. He contributed in the 2004 and 2005 seasons as a junior college transfer.

Professional career

Tennessee Titans

He was drafted by the

in the fifth round of the

. He played ten games for the Titans in the 2006 season, and was released on September 11, 2007.

Miami Dolphins

On October 24, 2007, Mahelona was waived by the

Atlanta Falcons

Mahelona was signed by the Atlanta Falcons on November 20 when Rod Coleman was placed on injured reserve. He was cut on December 29, 2007.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Mahelona was signed by the

on August 7, 2008, after defensive tackle Tywain Myles was waived. He was cut August 30. He did not make the opening day roster.

Death

Mahelona was killed in an automobile accident in Hawaii early on the morning of September 5, 2009. Mahelona's vehicle collided with construction equipment. Police reported that speed and alcohol were factors in the crash.

References

External links

Tennessee Volunteers bioJacksonville Jaguars bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahelona, Jesse 1983 births 2009 deaths Players of American football from Honolulu American football defensive tackles Tennessee Volunteers football players Tennessee Titans players Miami Dolphins players Atlanta Falcons players Jacksonville Jaguars players Road incident deaths in Hawaii Alcohol-related deaths in Hawaii