Sitting Out 2020 Season Helped His Development
Faalele sat out the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns but used the time wisely, losing more than 30 pounds and getting in the best shape of his life. He returned a better player in 2021 and improved his draft stock.
“Making that decision (to sit out), it wasn’t easy,” Faalele said. “I played a lot of football with the offensive line guys and felt I was letting them down. I didn’t want them to feel like I wasn’t doing anything. So I decided to lose a lot of weight, I went from 410 to 380. That just helped me to come back in better shape, be able to play longer at my best.”
Born in Australia, He Started Football Late
Faalele has already made a rapid rise after a late start in football. He didn’t start playing until his junior year of high school when he moved to Florida from his native Australia.
He was so unfamiliar with the rules of football, he spent his first year learning from the bench and didn’t play a snap. But once Faalele got on…