Stephen Paea

Stephen Paea

Paea with the Washington Redskins in 2015
No. 99 Cleveland Browns
Position:	Defensive end
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1988-05-11) May 11, 1988 (age 28)
Place of birth:	Auckland, New Zealand
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	310 lb (141 kg)
Career information
High school:	Provo (UT) Timpview
College:	Oregon State
NFL Draft:	2011 / Round: 2 / Pick: 53
Career history
Chicago Bears (2011–2014) Washington Redskins (2015) Cleveland Browns (2016–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
2× Morris Trophy (2009, 2010) Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (2010) Consensus All-American (2010) 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2009, 2010)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2015
Tackles: 125 Sacks: 14.0 Forced fumbles: 3 Pass deflections: 6 Player stats at NFL.com

Stephen Paea (/ˈpaɪ.ə/ PY-ə; born May 11, 1988) is a New Zealand–born American football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Oregon State University, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and has also played for the Washington Redskins.

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Paea grew up in Vavaʻu, Tonga, where he played high school rugby union and dreamt of playing at Number 8 for the All Blacks. When he was 16, his family moved to the United States, originally to Lawrence, Kansas, where his cousin Chris Maumalanga was playing for the Kansas Jayhawks. After a year, they moved to Provo, Utah, where Paea attended Timpview High School. Playing defensive line at only 240 pounds, he drew little attention by Division I schools, so he decided to enroll at nearby Snow College in Ephraim. Paea was also the state runner-up in the shot put, with a top-throw of 16.09 meters (52′08″) and a state qualifier in the discus with a best of 46.72 meters (153′03″).