Rey Maualuga Rey Maualuga ( born January 20 , 1987 ) is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for the University of Southern California ( USC ) , and was recognized as an All - American . The Cincinnati Bengals chose him in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft . High school career . Maualuga attended St . Bonaventure High School in Ventura , California where he played on a team with Lorenzo Booker . He moved to Eureka , California before his sophomore year where he played with future Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Maurice Purify . His team , the Eureka High School Loggers completed their perfect 13 - 0 season with a North Coast Section championship at the Redwood Bowl during his junior year . That year he posted 146 tackles , 43 tackles for loss , 11 sacks and 1 interception . In his senior year he had 96 tackles , 37 tackles for loss , 4 interceptions ( 2 for TDs ) , 2 fumble recoveries and 1 kickoff return for a touchdown . Eureka achieved an impressive 20 - 2 - 1 win - loss - tie record during his junior and senior seasons . Following his high school senior season , Maualuga played in the by - invitation 2005 U . S . Army All - American Bowl . College career . Maualuga attended the University of Southern California , and played for coach Pete Carroll ' s USC Trojans football team from 2005 to 2008 . He was known for his emotional intensity both on the field and off . Carroll ' s Trojans had previously developed strong linebackers such as Lofa Tatupu and Keith Rivers , as well as Maualuga ' s fellow senior teammates Brian Cushing , Kaluka Maiava and Clay Matthews III , which were touted as one of the most talented linebacker corps in college football . As a freshman in 2005 , Maualuga earned Freshman All - American first - team honors from the Football Writers Association of America and Scout . com ; also he won USC ' s John McKay Award ( most competitive spirit ) . Off the field his career started with occasional spirited and reckless partying that led to an October 2005 incident where he got into a fight at a Halloween party and was arrested for misdemeanor battery . He agreed in an arraignment diversion program that included counseling , Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and community service resulting in the charges being dismissed . Maualuga later noted that : " You learn that you ' re only given a certain number of chances . If you keep going back to the same things you were doing , it shows that you don ' t learn from anything . " In 2006 , Maualuga returned in full form and was nominated for the Butkus Award and second team All Pac - 10 . He made his first start in place of injured senior Oscar Lua against Nebraska . Maualuga was considered a top choice for the 2008 NFL Draft , but he decided to stay for his senior year in college . At the end of the 2007 regular season , Maualuga was selected to the All - Pacific - 10 Conference first team for the second year in a row by league coaches . He was the defensive player - of - the - game in the 2008 Rose Bowl . Maualuga wears jersey number 58 , which was previously worn by former Trojan linebacker and NFL Pro Bowl player Lofa Tatupu , who , like Maualuga , is also of Samoan descent . Mindful of his heritage , Maualuga displays many bold , warrior - like Polynesian tattoos on his arms and legs . Some NFL scouts have compared Maualuga to former Trojan and NFL linebacker Junior Seau and former Trojan and current Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu , both of Samoan descent , for their sideline - to - sideline aggressive style of defense play , and Polamalu ' s shared preference for displaying long Polynesian warrior - style hair tucked under their football helmet . In addition to being named the 2008 winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award , Maualuga was recognized as a unanimous first - team All - American , receiving first - team honors from the Associated Press , American Football Coaches Association , Football Writers Association of America , " Sporting News " , Walter Camp Football Foundation , CBS Sportsline . com , " College Football News " , ESPN and Rivals . com . Maualuga was also chosen to participate in the 2009 Senior Bowl with some of his other USC teammates . Professional career . 2009 NFL Draft . Maualuga was one of twelve graduating 2008 senior USC players , including the four senior linebackers ( Cushing , Maiava , Matthews ) , invited to the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine . In the lead up to the 2009 NFL Draft , Maualuga was ranked as one of the top middle linebackers entering the draft , alongside Ohio State ' s James Laurinaitis . USC linebackers Maualuga , Cushing and Matthews were all featured on the cover of " Sports Illustrated " ' s 2009 NFL Draft Preview magazine , as all three were regarded as potential first round selections . Cincinnati Bengals . Despite being projected as a first round pick , Maualuga was picked in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals . Maualuga was projected by some , and expecting , to go 16th overall to the San Diego Chargers , who instead opted to select hybrid linebacker / defensive end Larry English out of Northern Illinois . After being selected , Maualuga cried as he gave thanks to his late father and said he was thankful for his opportunity as " Nothing like this was ever expected for our family . " His selection came one year after the Bengals used a first - round pick to select Maualuga ' s college teammate , linebacker Keith Rivers . On December 30 , 2009 , Maualuga was placed on injured reserve due to a broken ankle he suffered a week before . He finished his rookie season with 64 tackles , one sack , three forced fumbles and three pass deflections in 15 games started . On November 16 , 2012 , Maualuga was fined $ 15 , 750 for unnecessary roughness against the New York Giants . Maualuga signed a new two - year , $ 6 . 5 million contract with the Bengals on March 18 , 2013 . Personal . Maualuga was born at Reynolds Army Community Hospital in Fort Sill , Oklahoma , to American Samoa n parents , Talatonu and Tina Maualuga . His father , Talatonu , was in Oklahoma serving with the United States Army . Within a few months the family moved to Waipahu , Hawaii , near Honolulu . Financially , the family struggled in Hawaii . While in sixth grade , Maualuga started playing football because he saw the popular kids played football and carried their pads and helmets to school . Not only was Rey Maualuga passionate about football , he also had a love for attending church with his family . His family attended First Samoan Full Gospel Pentecostal Church in Waipahu and Moanalua where Rey was a member of the FSFGPC youth group . After sixth grade , his family moved to Oxnard , California as his father pursued Pentecostal ministry . He spent his first year of high school in nearby Ventura before moving up to Eureka in far Northern California where his father practiced ministry . During Maualuga ' s freshman year he wrote " RIP " on the eye black paint under his right eye and " DAD " under his left eye in honor of his dad who died two days before the BCS National Championship Game following the 2005 season . His dad died after battling brain cancer , and from at least his junior season , black eye paint under both eyes read " DAD " in silver . He has two younger brothers . Curiously , neither of his Samoan - American parents were tall . Maualuga was arrested on January 29 , 2010 , on charges of drunken driving and careless driving at the Kenton County jail in Covington , Kentucky . That same day , the " TMZ " website published a photo purportedly showing Maulauga ' s arrest at the crash scene , and reported that Maualuga ' s blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was about double the legal limit . On February 2 , 2010 , Maualuga pled guilty to the drunken driving charge . He was given a 7 - day suspended jail sentence , two years probation , drivers ' license suspension for 90 days , and fined $ 350 . He apologized for his actions when he made his plea .