Palmer grad waiting for that call from NFL

Junior Aumavae has never paid much attention to the NFL draft. But this year is different, because the former Palmer High School football standout just might hear his name called during the league’s three-day selection ceremony.

The 2004 Palmer High School graduate and 2003 Alaska 4A lineman of the year who recently capped a stellar college career could be selected this weekend during the seven-round NFL draft. And if he’s not chosen, Aumavae is expected to sign as a rookie free agent with one of a number of teams that have been talking to him.

The 6-foot-2, 330-pound defensive tackle is seen as an “under the radar” player by most NFL scouts. He’s a Division II player who earned first-team all-conference honors for both Western Washington and Minnesota State-Mankato. He’s received great interest from a number of NFL teams and excelled during his Pro Day, a workout in front of NFL scouts, earlier this year.

On Wednesday, just about 24 hours before University of Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford was taken by the St. Louis Rams as the No. 1 overall selection of the draft, Aumavae said his focus is on Saturday, the day of the final four rounds of the draft. If his name is not called during the fourth, fifth, sixth of seven rounds, he’ll wait as teams line up to bid for his services.

If Aumavae has the chance to sign his name along the dotted line and battle for a spot on an NFL roster, he’ll join a small class. A number of Alaska players have cracked NFL lineups, and there are a few players from the 49th State making an impact in the league. North Pole’s Darryn Colledge (Green Bay), Dimond graduate Chris Kuper (Denver) and former Bartlett standout Zack Bowman (Chicago) are all starters for NFL teams.

But the league isn’t overflowing with talent hailing from the 907.

And if you think that’s rare, try finding an NFL’er with a Mat-Su Valley connection. Former Colony star Cole Magner, a 2000 CHS grad, spent training camp with the Atlanta Falcons during consecutive seasons, but was unable to make the final cut. Magner had a brief stint on the Baltimore practice squad before finding a home in the Arena Football League.

This year, Aumavae could become one of the few. He’s already shown he deserves the shot.

Aumavae has faced his fair share of adversity. He battled through injury and was forced to find an opportunity with a second Division II program after Western Washington abruptly canned its football program prior to his senior season.

Aumavae was seen as the best lineman the state had to offer during his senior season in 2003. That’s pretty impressive considering he didn’t even step onto a football field until his sophomore year. Aumavae went to East Anchorage High as a freshman. He made the move out to Palmer as a sophomore, and his sister basically forced him to play football to help him push into the right direction. Under the guidance of the Palmer football coaching staff, Aumavae prospered. He dominated. He was a natural.

Aumavae was named first-team all-state on both offense and defense as a junior and a senior. That helped him earn a chance to play at the Division II level at Western Washington. His impact was immediate, earning All-Great Northwest Conference honors as a redshirt freshman. He did have to overcome hurdles in Bellingham. Aumavae needed surgery to repair injuries to his ankle and elbow. It took a year to rehabilitate.

Aumavae wore so many braces, his teammates nicknamed him “RoboCop.” But Aumavae fought through.

Aumavae worked through the various injuries, and as he was about ready to return to the Western Washington program, the university announced it was cutting the football program, which the school founded in 1903. With the Vikings program now gone, Aumavae hoped to go Division I. There was interest from Portland State and the University of Washington, but the NCAA denied his bid for a sixth year of eligibility to be used in a Division I program. That sent him looking for a top Division II teams.

There were a number of schools interested, including DI power Central Washington, but Aumavae said he quickly saw Mankato as the right place to be. Aumavae was actually meeting with the Central Washington coaching staff when he received a call from a Mankato coach urging him not to sign with the Wildcats.

Aumavae made an immediate impact for the Division II Minnesota State Mavericks, making 10 starts. He was dominant in the interior of the Mankato defensive line and was named first-team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the NSIC Defensive Newcomer of the Year following the 2009 season.

Following his senior year, Aumavae signed with Imani Sports. Since, he’s been in contact with a number of NFL franchises.

And regardless of whether his name is called during the NFL draft, Aumavae deserves the chance to get that call to represent Palmer High School and the Mat-Su Valley in the National Football League.

Contact Frontiersman sports Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.