New England Free Jacks added former University of Kansas offensive lineman Ahongalu ‘Ngalu’ Fusimalohi for a trial with the team. The 28-year-old prop is 6’3” and 310 lbs.
Ngalu is from Nuku’alofa, Tonga, and played rugby as a youth, before to the U.S. in September 2009 when he was almost 17. He attended Jefferson High School in Daly City, California, and played football as an offensive guard and defensive tackle. His senior year he was selected to the All-Peninsula Athletic League first team and All-County.
Ngalu continued playing football at City College of San Francisco in 2011 and 2012 and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Social Sciences in 2013. He helped the team win the NJCAA National Championship in 2011 and state runners-up in 2012. He also was 1st team All NorCal Conference selection.
From 2013-2015 he attended the University of Kansas, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences. He made 23 starts for the Jayhawks in football before a leg injury curtailed the remainder of the 2014 season. In 2013 he was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 coaches’ selection and was the Jayhawks Offensive Lineman of the Year.
In 2015 he was selected by the Indoor Football League, the Shock, from Spokane, Washington for the 2016 season. He also played Arena Football with the Albany Empire in 2019 and with The Generals in the Spring League in 2020.
From 2016-2019 he was a football coach with Weston High School in Massachusetts and in 2019-2020 was an offensive line coach with the Jefferson Union School District.
Ngalu now has the opportunity to be a crossover athlete in professional rugby. This is an investment on the Free Jacks part, but if it pays dividends, New England will reap the rewards.
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