This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
New England Patriots safety Nate Ebner is the only current NFL player competing in the 2016 Olympics, but he's not the only member of the U.S. rugby sevens team with a successful football background.
Maka Unufe, a former Provo High School receiver and defensive back, was named Monday to the 12-player U.S. team for the return of rugby to the Olympics.
"In my honest opinion, he should be playing in the NFL; that's the kind of athlete he is," said Saia Pope, Provo's head coach in 2009, when Unufe played as a senior.
Unufe's commitment to the University of Utah fell through when he dropped out of school prior to graduation. He never pursued a college career, but has thrived in rugby, starting with the Utah Warriors.
Unufe is considered one of the U.S. mainstays, having played regularly for the Eagles during the 2015-16 season. Thretton Palamo, a former Ute running back and defensive end, is among five players who were named to compete for three traveling spots as reserves in Rio de Janeiro. Rugby is in the Olympics for the first time since 1924, using the seven-player version of the sport.
The U.S. team is in Group A with Brazil, Argentina and Olympic favorite Fiji. The 12-team men's tournament is scheduled Aug. 9-11, enabling Ebner to rejoin the Patriots during training camp.
Unufe's agent once arranged NFL auditions, but no opportunities materialized as he tried to build on his high school performance. A longtime family friend, Pope remembers Unufe joining the Provo team in the summer of '09 after being academically ineligible the previous two years. Pope repeatedly timed him in the 40-yard dash at an average of under 4.4 seconds. "I thought it was wrong, so I just kept telling him to run 'em over," Pope said.
In the Bulldogs' season opener vs. Cyprus, Unufe caught touchdown passes of 70, 80 and 90 yards, running as if "everybody was standing still," Pope said.
The following week against Stansbury, Unufe scored another three touchdowns, via a reception and two interception returns. Against Orem, he scored on a 90-yard kickoff return, a 72-yard punt return and two catches, accounting for 339 all-purpose yards while touching the ball nine times.
Provo lost to Woods Cross in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs. Unufe was named to The Salt Lake Tribune's All-State team as a defensive back. During the recruiting season, he was listed with Kenneth Scott, Brian Blechen and Joe Kruger, among other players committed to Utah, but he didn't sign with the Utes in February.
A converted rugby player, Palamo concluded his Ute football career in 2013, when he appeared in all 12 games and made 13 tackles.
Twitter: @tribkurt