Tuesday, October 13, 1998

Fuamatu-Ma‘afala
might get his chance

Former St. Louis prep star
waiting for a break

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

Former St. Louis School all-stater Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala could get the break he's been waiting for on Sunday against Baltimore.

Fuamata Ma'afala said today he has been cleared by team doctors to play despite a shoulder injury, resulting in "stingers" he suffered in the Steelers' 25-20 loss on Sunday at Cincinnati.

Pro Bowl running back Jerome Bettis suffered a sprained knee ligament in the game and it swelled up on him yesterday morning.

It's possible Bettis will be held out against the 2-3 Ravens, thus giving backups Richard Huntley and Fuamatu-Ma'afala a lot more time with the football.

"I had stingers three times," said Fuamatu-Ma'afala by phone last night. "But I'm OK."

Fuamatu-Ma'afala, used only in third-down situations, scored his first NFL touchdown two games ago in Seattle on a 10-yard run.

But that was only his second carry of the season.

He has caught four passes for 34 yards.

It's been an eventful past seven days off the field for the 5-foot-11, 255-pound rookie from the University of Utah.

Last week, he was sent out by the team on his first solo autograph session at a Pittsburgh mall. The he got to attend a WWF exhibition in Pittsburgh and went backstage to meet some of his favorites. He ended the night by eating dinner with The Rock.

On the other side of the ball in Cincinnati was former Molokai High all-star Kimo von Oelhoffen, the Bengals' starting nose tackle.

Von Oelhoffen had two assisted tackles against the Steelers.

He now has 13 tackles on the season -- 11 of them solo.

Former Mililani High star Maa Tanuvasa had four solo tackles, including his third sack of the season, in a 21-16 victory by the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos over Seattle.

The defensive end from the University of Hawaii now has 16 tackles -- 14 of them solo efforts.

Another former UH player, kicker Jason Elam, kicked three extra points to bring his season total to 41.

Elam, who played despite straining a hamstring the previous Sunday against Philadelphia, is 5-for-5 from field goal range and 26-for-26 in extra points.

Former Waianae High star Kurt Gouveia had six tackles (four assisted) in San Diego's 7-6 loss to Oakland.

Gouveia now has 31 tackles (22 solo) for the Chargers. He has no sacks.

Former Pac-Five star Ink Aleaga subbed at linebacker but didn't have any tackles in New Orleans' 31-0 loss to San Francisco. In the previous Sunday's loss to New England, Aleaga started and had his first NFL sack among seven tackles.

Former Kahuku High all-state guard Chris Naeole started his fifth straight game for the Saints and has not missed a snap this season. Naeole, the team's No. 1 draft pick in 1997, spent most of his rookie season laid up with injuries.

Former Leilehua High star Adrian Murrell had 67 yards on 21 carries in Arizona's 20-7 victory over Chicago.

Murrell now has 415 yards on 118 carries for an average of 3.5 yards. He has scored three touchdowns.