Spencer Sione Folau (born April 5, 1973) is a former
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 ...
offensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...
who played in the
NFL for the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
1997-2000,
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 ...
2001,
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
2002-2004, and
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
2005. He was a member of the 2000 Ravens team that won
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
. He is currently the offensive line and strength and conditioning coach at McDonogh (High) School, in Owings Mills, Maryland.
Early life and high school career
Folau was born in Tonga but grew up in
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, approximately south of San Francisco, and northwest of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a ...
.
He attended
Sequoia High School in
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, approximately south of San Francisco, and northwest of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a ...
.
College career
Folau attended the
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The Universit ...
and as a senior in 1995, was an honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference selection at offensive tackle. Started all 23 games of his senior and junior years at defensive tackle and recorded 70 tackles, seven for losses, a forced fumble, three pass deflections, and three sacks as a sophomore in 1993. Started three games at defensive tackle as a freshman in 1992 and Redshirted in 1991 due to a fractured ankle suffered in all-star game during the summer of 1991. Majored in General Studies.
Professional career
Folau joined the Baltimore Ravens in 1996 and spent three seasons with them, winning a Super Bowl in his final season with the team.
Folau had to learn all positions on the offensive line due to players like
Jonathan Ogden and
Orlando Brown ahead of him at his natural positions.
Folau then moved on and played one season for 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 ...
, he would get released by the team in early 2002.
In 2002, Folau signed with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
where he played three seasons before retiring.
Folau was signed by the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
in 2005 but he was released due to injury.
Personal life
Folau is married to his wife Heather, and together they have three children.
References
Spencer Folau databasefootball.com, 5 February 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Folau, Spencer
1973 births
Living people
American football offensive linemen
Baltimore Ravens players
Miami Dolphins players
New Orleans Saints players
Idaho Vandals football players
Tongan emigrants to the United States
Sequoia High School (Redwood City, California) alumni
Players of American football from California
Tongan players of American football