Every year, the UFL features some truly inspiring stories from its athletes. Michigan Panthers RB Toa Taua is one of those – as he’s just made it to the next level with the Cleveland Browns, a league source confirms with Pro Football Newsroom. This comes after his workout with the team a day ago.
Toa’s journey to get to this point is quite impressive. It begins way before the 2025 UFL season, actually. He signed with the Michigan Panthers in 2023, active for one game – completely on special teams.
Last year, Toa was a part of a backfield that featured Wes Hills, Matt Colburn, and Nate McCrary. Toa was let go, but was brought back later in the year – rushing for 26 yards in a week 10 matchup against Birmingham.
After being brought back for UFL Training Camp in 2025, Taua was beat out by new addition Jaden Shirden. Taua was released, and went back to working at a local golf course. However, just two weeks into the year, Colburn went to IR – and Michigan brought Toa back.
He immediately made an impact, seeing his first minutes in week four and scoring a touchdown in their win over the Showboats.
The success continued a week later, when Toa ran for two scores against the St. Louis Battlehawks. It was a tremendous year for Taua, who rushed for 364 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season. His six scores led all UFL RB’s – despite not seeing the field much until week four.
In the playoffs, Toa continued to shine. His three touchdowns in the USFL Conference Championship helped lift the Panthers to a victory over Birmingham.
This is Toa’s first true NFL opportunity – and it’s…