Jahlani Tavai

BIOGRAPHY

Jahlani Tavai was born on September 28, 1996, in Inglewood, California. He studied at the University of Hawaii and is a linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. In his early years, Tavai attended Mira Costa High School where he was a 2014 graduate of Mira Costa High School and was rated as the No. 305 athlete nationally by 247Sports. He played on the defensive line and at tight end and served as team captain. As a senior, Tavai was named all-CIF Southern Section Northern Division first-team and All-Bay League first-team. He recorded 67 tackles at nose guard and had 20 receptions and two touchdowns at tight end and had had three sacks and scored on a touchdown reception in a CIF-SS Northern Division playoff game win over Highland. He also helped Mira Costa to a second-place Bay League finish and to the quarterfinals of the Northern Division playoffs. As a junior, Tavai had 55 tackles and an interception while garnering all-league and all-area honors. 

After he finished high school, Tavai committed to the University of Hawaii where as a freshman in 2015, he appeared in all 13 games, starting 11 contests at outside linebacker and was ranked seventh on the team with 56 total tackles, where 26 were solo and 30 assisted, including a 5.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks, which ranked second on the team. As a sophomore in 2016, he received the All-Mountain West first-team honors and was named to the watch list for Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. He started all 14 games at ‘MIKE’ linebacker and led the team and ranked sixth in the Mountain West and 29th nationally with 129 total tackles, where 86 were solo and 43 assisted, becoming the first UH player to record over 100 tackles in a season since 2011. He also topped the Mountain West and finished 18th in the NCAA with 19.5 tackles-for-loss, recorded a team-high and MW sixth-best 7.0 sacks on the year and also finished with two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception, one pass breakup, and four quarterback hurries. He collected his first interception, and a fumble recovery against UT Martin on September 10 and received MW Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 24, following the Air Force game, highlighted by a sack and forced a fumble that set up a critical UH touchdown. 

As a junior in 2017, he was named to the All-Mountain West second team and was also named team’s Coach Bob Wagner Defensive MVP. He started all 12 games at middle linebacker and prior to the season, he was selected to the Chuck Bednarik, Bronco Nagurski, and Polynesian Player of the Year watch lists. He led the team with 124 tackles, where 66 were solo and 58 assisted and was ranked 10th nationally in total tackles and tackles per game with 10.3. He topped the 100-tackle mark for the second straight season and also led the team and ranked in the top 10 in the Mountain West in sacks with 5.5 and tackles-for-loss with 11.0. He recorded 10 or more tackles in nine games. In his senior year in 2018, Tavai was selected to the preseason Bronko Nagurski Award, Butkus Award, and Polynesian Player of the Year watch lists. He was named all-Mountain West honorable mention and was named the team’s Coach Bob Wagner Defensive MVP for the second straight year. He played and started in eight games where he led the team in tackles up to that point with 82 wrap-ups, including 42 solos. He averaged 10.2 tackles a game, accounted for 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks and also registered two pass breakups, one quarterback hurry, and one forced fumble. He finished his career ranked second all-time at UH In tackles with 391.

After he graduated from college, Tavai entered the 2019 NFL Draft where he was selected in the second round by the Detroit Lions.