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Sione Vaki (born July 30, 2001) is an American professional football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes as a two-way player. Vaki was selected by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
| No. 33 – Detroit Lions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | July 30, 2001 Antioch, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 213 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Liberty (Brentwood, California) | ||||||||
| College: | Utah (2022–2023) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2024 / round: 4 / pick: 132 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 2024, 6 | |||||||||
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Vaki attended Liberty High School in Brentwood, California. In Vaki's high school career he played on both sides of the ball. On offense he rushed for 401 yards and seven touchdowns, while also bringing in 107 receptions for 2,203 yards and 32 touchdowns. On defense he notched 142 tackles with one being for a loss, five interceptions, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and two defensive touchdowns, Vaki also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.[1] Vaki committed to play college football at the University of Utah.[2][3]
In Vaki's true freshman season in 2022 he totalled 41 tackles with 3.5 going for a loss, three pass deflections, and a forced fumble.[4]
In week one of the 2023 season, he recorded his first career interception versus the Florida Gators.[5] In week seven, Vaki had a breakout game where he played both ways of the ball as he rushed 15 times for 158 yards and two touchdown to help the Utes beat California.[6] In the following week, he rushed nine times for 68 yards, while also hauling in five receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns, while also notching two tackles and having the best coverage grade on the Utes, as helped them upset USC 34-32.[7] The rest of the season, the Utes formulated a plan to use Vaki more on offense.[8][9]
As a sophomore, Vaki finished the season with 51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks and two interceptions on defense. On offense he had 317 yards rushing (7.5 yards per carry) and two rushing touchdowns. As well as 11 receptions for 203 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He was voted to the first-team All-Pac-12 team twice in 2023, both as a safety and a special teams/all-purpose player.[10] Following the 2023 season, Vaki declared for the 2024 NFL draft after playing two seasons of college football, as he went on a three year mission trip following his high school graduation.[11]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+1⁄8 in (1.81 m) |
210 lb (95 kg) |
29+1⁄8 in (0.74 m) |
8+5⁄8 in (0.22 m) | 4.51 s | 1.57 s | 2.59 s | 4.28 s | 7.16 s | 39.5 in (1.00 m) | 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) | 20 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[12][13] | ||||||||||||
Vaki was selected in the fourth round, 132nd overall, by the Detroit Lions in the 2024 NFL draft.[14]
Vaki lost his mother Oto’ota due to cancer.[15] Vaki is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; he started to serve a mission for the church in the Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Mission, but was reassigned to the West Salt Lake City, Utah, Mission due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16]
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