Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim (né Nesheim; June 12, 1987 – October 29, 2017) was a Samoan American football outside linebacker. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
refer to caption
Te'o-Nesheim in the 2012 NFL season.
No. 52, 50
Position:Outside linebacker
Personal information
Born:(1987-06-12)June 12, 1987
Pago Pago, American Samoa
Died:October 29, 2017(2017-10-29) (aged 30)
Hilo, Hawaii, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:263 lb (119 kg)
Career information
High school:Hawaii Preparatory Academy
(Waimea, Hawaii)
College:Washington
NFL Draft:2010 / Round: 3 / Pick: 86
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-Pac-10 (2009)
  • Washington Defensive MVP (2007)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:57
Sacks:5
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Te'o-Nesheim was born in Pago Pago, American Samoa on June 12, 1987, to parents David and Ailota Nesheim. He moved to Mill Creek, Washington at the age of 5. His father, David, died of an aneurysm when Te'o-Nesheim was attending Heatherwood Middle School.[1] Te'o-Nesheim relocated back to American Samoa at age 12 before going on to attend boarding school in Hawaii. Although his last name was originally Nesheim his mother suggested adding the Samoan surname Te'o to it while he was in high school as a tribute to the family's Samoan heritage.[2]

Te'o-Nesheim was a three-time first-team all-league selection as two-way lineman during his high school years at Hawaii Preparatory Academy. He helped his team to an 11-1 overall record during his senior year, including a 10-0 league record, before losing in the state semi-finals. Playing on the first-team from the big island to win a state playoff game. He also excelled in track, competing in the shot put and discus. Winning the state championship in shot put and second in discus his senior year. Te'o-Nesheim also lettered in basketball and baseball.[2] He was a high school teammate of center Max Unger.[1] He was coached by Bern Brostek (NFL center).[3]

Te'o-Nesheim was recruited by Oregon, Hawaii and Washington, but committed to Washington a few days prior to signing day in 2005.[1]

College career

Te'o-Nesheim played college football at the University of Washington. He redshirted in 2005 and earned the scout team defensive player of the year award.[4] He was named the defensive MVP in 2007.[1] In 2008, he won the Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award, the John P. Angel Defensive Lineman of the Year award, and the L. Wait Rising Lineman of the Year award. He was named a team captain in 2008 and 2009.[5] He earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors in 2009.[6]

He started all 49 games of his career recording a total of 194 tackles, 30 sacks, 50.5 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.[2] His 30 sacks set a school record for career sacks, breaking the record set by Ron Holmes, who played from 1981 to 1984, with 28.[7]

Professional career

Philadelphia Eagles

Te'o-Nesheim was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round (86th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.[8] He was signed to a four-year contract on June 16, 2010.[9] Te'o-Nesheim was hindered by a shoulder injury throughout his rookie season,[10] only playing in six games (starting in the season-finale against Dallas after the Eagles clinched a playoff berth) and recording two tackles and one sack. He registered his first career sack in the game against the Cowboys.

Te'o-Nesheim was waived on September 3, 2011, during final roster cuts, but was re-signed to the team's practice squad on September 4.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After spending most of the 2011 season on the Eagles' practice squad, Te'o-Nesheim was signed off it by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 22.

NFL statistics
YearTeamGPCOMBTOTALASTSACKFFFRFR YDSINTIR YDSAVG IRLNGTDPD
2010PHI62201.0000000000
2011TB11100.0000000000
2012TB164024164.0000000000
2013TB1614950.0000000000
Career395736215.0000000000

[11]

Key

  • GP: games played
  • COMB: combined tackles
  • TOTAL: total tackles
  • AST: assisted tackles
  • SACK: sacks
  • FF: forced fumbles
  • FR: fumble recoveries
  • FR YDS: fumble return yards
  • INT: interceptions
  • IR YDS: interception return yards
  • AVG IR: average interception return
  • LNG: longest interception return
  • TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
  • PD: passes defensed

Later life and death

Following his playing days, Te'o-Nesheim became an assistant coach for two years at his high school, Hawaii Preparatory Academy, before becoming the head coach in 2017.[12] Te'o-Nesheim died at the age of 30 on October 29, 2017.[13][14] He died after a night of drinking at a friend's house, with a mixture of pills and alcohol in his system, the local medical examiner told The Seattle Times.[15] Te'o-Nesheim's family donated his brain to the Boston University School of Medicine, where doctors determined that he had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy.[16][17] He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with this disease, which is caused by repeated hits to the head.[18][19]

See also

References
  1. Condotta, Bob (August 25, 2008). "Huskies' Daniel Te'o-Nesheim never stops". Seattle Times. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  2. "52 Daniel TE'O-NESHEIM". philadelphiaeagles.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  3. "Player Bio: Daniel Te'o-Nesheim - University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Washington Huskies - University of Washington Athletics". Gohuskies.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  4. Yanity, Molly (August 15, 2006). "Huskies' Te'o-Nesheim carries above-average attitude". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  5. "Te'o-Nesheim Earns Five Awards". Scout.com. December 11, 2008. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  6. Condotta, Bob (December 7, 2009). "Kearse, Butler, Te'o-Nesheim earn all-conference second team honors". Seattle Times. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  7. Condotta, Bob (December 6, 2009). "UW's Daniel Te'o-Nesheim sets Huskies career sack record". Seattle Times. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  8. "2010 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  9. McPherson, Chris (June 16, 2010). "Te'o-Nesheim Becomes 10th Draft Pick Signed". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  10. Wulf, Bo (April 21, 2011). "Roseman On 2010 Draft Picks". philadelphiaeagles.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  11. "Daniel Te'o-Nesheim Stats". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  12. Abramo, Nick (April 13, 2017). "Te'o-Nesheim is new HPA football coach". Hawaiiprepworld.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  13. Luong, Priscilla (October 30, 2017). "Multiple sources confirm former NFL linebacker Daniel Te'o Nesheim has died". KITV. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  14. Obituary for Daniel Olav Te'o-Nesheim
  15. "What happened to Daniel Te'o-Nesheim? Nearly a year after ex-UW star's death, family finds answers". September 27, 2018.
  16. Belson, Ken (September 27, 2018). "A Football Player's Descent Into Pain and Paranoia". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  17. Jude, Adam (September 27, 2018). "What happened to Daniel Te'o-Nesheim? Nearly a year after ex-UW star's death, family finds answers early a year after ex-UW star's death, family finds answers". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  18. "The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)". Concussion Legacy Foundation. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  19. Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller (June 20, 2023). "Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2023.

Further reading
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