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Biography
Xavier Filoitumua Su'a-Filo (born January 1, 1991) is an American football guard for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.
Early years
A native of Pleasant Grove, Utah, Su'a-Filo attended Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, where he was a three-year starter and a Parade Magazine All-American offensive lineman.
He contributed to his school winning state championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008, while setting a state record for most consecutive wins (36). He was teammates with future NFL players Stephen Paea and Bronson Kaufusi.
As a senior, he was named the state of Utah 4A Offensive Player of the Year. He was regarded as a four-star recruit and was ranked as the number seven offensive tackle in his class by Rivals.com.
College career
Su'a-Filo accepted a football scholarship from UCLA. As a freshman, he started all 13 games at left tackle. He became the first true freshman to start a season-opener on the offensive side of the ball for UCLA and also had the most starts by a true freshman at any non-kicking position in school history.
In 2010, he left school to serve a two-year Mormon mission in Florida and South Alabama. He rode a special ordered bike capable for his 300-pound frame during his mission work from January 2010 to December 2011.
In 2012, he returned and started all 14 games at left guard, while also seeing some action at left tackle. He helped running back Johnathan Franklin set a school record for most single-season rushing yards. As a junior, he started 7 games at left guard and 6 at left left tackle.
On January 5, 2014, he decided to forgo his senior year at UCLA and declared for the 2014 NFL Draft. During his college career he started 19 games at left tackle and 21 at left guard.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 307 lb (139 kg) | 33 ⁄8 in (0.85 m) | 9 ⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 5.04 s | 4.44 s | 7.60 s | 25 in (0.64 m) | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) | 25 reps | |||
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Houston Texans
Su'a-Filo was selected by the Houston Texans with the first pick in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft, to become the highest selected UCLA Bruins offensive lineman since Jonathan Ogden in 1996. As a rookie, he missed all of the organized team activities because of his school's quarter system and played different positions along the offensive line during the preseason. He appeared in 13 games as a backup at left guard after not been able to pass Ben Jones on the depth chart. He started at right guard in place of an injured Brandon Brooks in the sixth game against the Indianapolis Colts.
In 2015, with the retirement of Chris Myers, Jones was moved to center and Su'a-Filo competed for the left guard position. He played in 11 games, starting the final 9 including the playoffs at left guard. He struggled in pass protection during the season.
In 2016, he appeared in 16 games with 15 starts. In 2017, the Texans used seven different offensive line starting combinations throughout the season. Only Su'a-Filo and right tackle Breno Giacomini started every game at their respective positions. He wasn't re-signed after the season.
Tennessee Titans
On March 27, 2018, Su'a-Filo signed with the Tennessee Titans, reuniting with Mike Vrabel who was both the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator with the Texans. He was brought in to compete with starter Quinton Spain at left guard. He was released on September 1, 2018.
Dallas Cowboys
On September 11, 2018, Su'a-Filo was signed by the Dallas Cowboys to replace backup guard Kadeem Edwards and provide depth in place of an injured Parker Ehinger. He replaced injured rookie Connor Williams, as the starter at left guard in the ninth game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He has been credited with helping to stabilize the performance of the offensive line.
In 2019, he was a backup until Williams tore his right knee ACL in the Week 13 game against the Buffalo Bills. He started four games at left guard before suffering a high ankle sprain and a fractured fibula in the Week 16 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was placed on injured reserve on December 24.
Cincinnati Bengals
On March 19, 2020, Su'a-Filo signed a three-year, $10 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Personal life
Su'a-Filo is fluent in Spanish, learning the language on his two-year church mission trips to Alabama and Florida. Su'a-Filo has three siblings: Hayley, Natasha, and Wilson. He majored in history with a minor in Spanish at UCLA.