Post by 50yardfan on Jul 12, 2010 9:09:56 GMT -5
trib.com/sports/pro/article_fdf9bfad-1444-5505-8036-1998d6f2539d.html
Five years ago, Tomasi Kongaika thought the game he grew up playing had passed him by.
A knee injury had cut short his football career at Washington State University and a second injury to the same knee derailed his opportunity to suit up in the Canadian Football League.
The Anchorage, Alaska, native was actually living in Boston and playing rugby with one of his older brothers when the game of football re-entered his life.
"After I got hurt again in Toronto, I figured I was done," Kongaika said. "But a former [Washington State] teammate of mine got in touch with me and he put me in contact with [Dan Maciejczak].
"I thought I was done playing football, but Majic called me in December of 2005 and asked if I wanted to play ball again."
Kongaika did.
So the former Pac 10 all-freshman defensive lineman packed his bags and joined Maciejczak in Rapid City, S.D., where Maciejczak was coaching the Flying Aces of the National Indoor Football League.
The following year, when Maciejczak took over the helm of the Wyoming Cavalry, Kongaika came with him. Four years later, the coach and the player are still together.
Sunday, Kongaika and the Cavs played the San Jose Wolves for the Western Division championship of the American Indoor Football Association.
"I have no regrets that I came back to play," Kongaika said. "I've enjoyed every minute playing for Majic."
Maciejczak has similar feelings toward his 6-foot-1, 360-pound defensive lineman.
"Tomasi is like a big dad to everybody," Maciejczak said. "He's a hard-working, friendly guy that keeps everybody together.
"The biggest thing with Tomasi is he's a team leader."
With his large frame and long, black hair flowing out of his helmet, Kongaika is easy to spot on the field.
And even though his name isn't listed among the league's Top 50 tacklers, Kongaika is one of the main reasons the Cavalry are one of the best defenses in the AIFA.
In addition to clogging up the middle of the field, Kongaika is surprisingly quick on his feet. He chased down Wolves quarterback Patrick Carras for one of the Cavs' six first-half sacks in last week's 47-26 victory.
"Some people got it and some people don't," Cavs defensive lineman Rodney Wasche, who leads the AIFA with 14 sacks, said. "And Tomasi's got it.
"He's always been really good on his feet and he's got great hand-eye coordination. He can do some damage."
Not that Kongaika would tell anyone about it, though. The soft-spoken defensive lineman is content to let his play on the field speak for him.
It's a characteristic shared by his teammates on the d-line. And it's a far cry from years past when Tyrone Saterfield was alongside Kongaika anchoring the Cavs' defense. Saterfield played for the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Storm this season.
"It was weird at the beginning of the season because I was used to hearing Tyrone," Kongaika said. "We played together every year since 2006 and you could hear his mouth going all game. With him not around it was kind of quiet."
But the defense was just as effective despite losing starting defensive tackle Shaine Odell early on.
Maciejczak said the defensive line has continued to impress throughout the season, with Kongaika being a key reason.
"Tomasi's real quiet, but he leads by example," Maciejczak said. "We've got a couple guys in the secondary that like to talk, but for the most part we're just a group of quiet kids that want to play football."
And Kongaika, who was given another chance to play the game he loved as a kid, is doing all he can to make the most of it, at least for a little while longer.
"I thought last year was going to be my last year," Kongaika, who turned 30 last week, said, "but my body felt pretty good after the season. Right now I feel like I could play one more season.
"I'm just glad I'm playing football again."
So are the Cavs.
Contact sports reporter Jack Nowlin at (307) 266-0528 or jack.nowlin@trib.com.
Cavalry Tracker
SUNDAY: San Jose at Wyoming (n).
RECORDS: Wolves (10-5); Cavalry (14-1).
WHAT'S AT STAKE: American Indoor Football Association Western Division championship.
VETERAN PRESENCE: Cavs' defensive lineman Tomasi Kongaika has been with the team since 2006.
HE SAID IT: "Tomasi is like a big dad o everybody. He's a hard-working, friendly guy that keeps everybody together." – Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak.
NEXT: The winner plays Eastern Division champion Baltimore in AIFA Bowl IV on July 25.
Five years ago, Tomasi Kongaika thought the game he grew up playing had passed him by.
A knee injury had cut short his football career at Washington State University and a second injury to the same knee derailed his opportunity to suit up in the Canadian Football League.
The Anchorage, Alaska, native was actually living in Boston and playing rugby with one of his older brothers when the game of football re-entered his life.
"After I got hurt again in Toronto, I figured I was done," Kongaika said. "But a former [Washington State] teammate of mine got in touch with me and he put me in contact with [Dan Maciejczak].
"I thought I was done playing football, but Majic called me in December of 2005 and asked if I wanted to play ball again."
Kongaika did.
So the former Pac 10 all-freshman defensive lineman packed his bags and joined Maciejczak in Rapid City, S.D., where Maciejczak was coaching the Flying Aces of the National Indoor Football League.
The following year, when Maciejczak took over the helm of the Wyoming Cavalry, Kongaika came with him. Four years later, the coach and the player are still together.
Sunday, Kongaika and the Cavs played the San Jose Wolves for the Western Division championship of the American Indoor Football Association.
"I have no regrets that I came back to play," Kongaika said. "I've enjoyed every minute playing for Majic."
Maciejczak has similar feelings toward his 6-foot-1, 360-pound defensive lineman.
"Tomasi is like a big dad to everybody," Maciejczak said. "He's a hard-working, friendly guy that keeps everybody together.
"The biggest thing with Tomasi is he's a team leader."
With his large frame and long, black hair flowing out of his helmet, Kongaika is easy to spot on the field.
And even though his name isn't listed among the league's Top 50 tacklers, Kongaika is one of the main reasons the Cavalry are one of the best defenses in the AIFA.
In addition to clogging up the middle of the field, Kongaika is surprisingly quick on his feet. He chased down Wolves quarterback Patrick Carras for one of the Cavs' six first-half sacks in last week's 47-26 victory.
"Some people got it and some people don't," Cavs defensive lineman Rodney Wasche, who leads the AIFA with 14 sacks, said. "And Tomasi's got it.
"He's always been really good on his feet and he's got great hand-eye coordination. He can do some damage."
Not that Kongaika would tell anyone about it, though. The soft-spoken defensive lineman is content to let his play on the field speak for him.
It's a characteristic shared by his teammates on the d-line. And it's a far cry from years past when Tyrone Saterfield was alongside Kongaika anchoring the Cavs' defense. Saterfield played for the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Storm this season.
"It was weird at the beginning of the season because I was used to hearing Tyrone," Kongaika said. "We played together every year since 2006 and you could hear his mouth going all game. With him not around it was kind of quiet."
But the defense was just as effective despite losing starting defensive tackle Shaine Odell early on.
Maciejczak said the defensive line has continued to impress throughout the season, with Kongaika being a key reason.
"Tomasi's real quiet, but he leads by example," Maciejczak said. "We've got a couple guys in the secondary that like to talk, but for the most part we're just a group of quiet kids that want to play football."
And Kongaika, who was given another chance to play the game he loved as a kid, is doing all he can to make the most of it, at least for a little while longer.
"I thought last year was going to be my last year," Kongaika, who turned 30 last week, said, "but my body felt pretty good after the season. Right now I feel like I could play one more season.
"I'm just glad I'm playing football again."
So are the Cavs.
Contact sports reporter Jack Nowlin at (307) 266-0528 or jack.nowlin@trib.com.
Cavalry Tracker
SUNDAY: San Jose at Wyoming (n).
RECORDS: Wolves (10-5); Cavalry (14-1).
WHAT'S AT STAKE: American Indoor Football Association Western Division championship.
VETERAN PRESENCE: Cavs' defensive lineman Tomasi Kongaika has been with the team since 2006.
HE SAID IT: "Tomasi is like a big dad o everybody. He's a hard-working, friendly guy that keeps everybody together." – Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak.
NEXT: The winner plays Eastern Division champion Baltimore in AIFA Bowl IV on July 25.