Mahelona puts hurt on foes

By Elizabeth A. Davis
Associated Press

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee's Jesse Mahelona pushed his blocker out of the way, chased down the Alabama quarterback and sacked him 15 yards behind the line.

Kailua, Kona's Jesse Mahelona is a compact 6 feet 2 and 300 pounds, but has speed uncommon for defensive tackles. Associated Press

Mahelona, a junior from Kailua, Kona, Hawai'i, was not expected to play and spent five to eight hours a day rehabbing his sprained left knee instead of practicing.

"I have goals set. I can't achieve my goals when I'm hurt," he said.

Mahelona wouldn't say if a goal is to be the best defensive tackle in the country like Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis has said he is or be the most productive lineman on the team as coach Phillip Fulmer has proclaimed.

"I'd rather keep those goals personal right now. If I do achieve them, you'll know," he said.

What he's already achieved isn't a secret.

The 2000 graduate from Kealakehe High transferred from Orange Coast College in California in January with hopes of making an instant impact.

He has.

Mahelona leads the Southeastern Conference with 11 tackles for a loss and is tied for third with five sacks.

He started all six games before the injury. Turk McBride started in his place last week in Tennessee's 17-13 win over Alabama, but Mahelona got into the game in the first quarter.

"He just brought a real spark in there," Fulmer said. "He's a tough guy. Just a really tough guy. He's an example to the rest of our team of pushing through and playing when you're not necessarily 100 percent. This game meant a lot to our team."

Mahelona is not a physically imposing guy off the field, particularly with his polite manner and gentle-sounding voice.

He's a compact 6 feet 2, 300 pounds, with a speed uncommon for defensive tackles.

Tennessee's best-known defensive tackles of late were 6-7 John Henderson and 6-6 Albert Haynesworth, but Chavis said he prefers smaller linemen like Mahelona.

"He's the type of guy I like playing," Chavis said. "If you start looking at the truly great ones I think more of them are going to look more like Jesse than they do John Henderson."

Against Alabama, Mahelona quickly maneuvered between the offensive guard and tackle and was into the backfield almost before the blockers turned around. He beat fellow Vol Parys Haralson to Alabama's Spencer Pennington and sacked him.

The Tide had marched to the Tennessee 18, but lost 15 yards on Mahelona's attack, taking them out of range for a short field goal. Three plays later, Alabama went for the 47-yarder on fourth down and made it.

"Jesse brought a lot of energy — obviously came off that thing and made the big play that put them out of field goal range," Fulmer said.

Mahelona appreciates the praise he's getting, but he tries to remain humble.

"I just don't think I'm as good as everybody thinks I am," he said.

Mahelona didn't know what to expect in his transition from junior college.

"All I knew was that Division I football was big-time and that I'd have to do even better than junior college to make it at D-1. Everybody is bigger, stronger, faster and that motivated me to work hard in my offseason," he said. "I'm surprised I'm doing as well as I am."

The Vols aren't so surprised.

"He's playing up to the expectations that we could have possibly hoped for when he came here," Fulmer said.