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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Seahawks tight end Tony Moeaki an instant hit

Tony Moeaki reaches for endzone at end of 63-yard catch and run on Thursday, the Seahawks’ longest play of season. (Associated Press)
Bob Condotta Seattle Times

RENTON, Wash. – Tony Moeaki has always had good hops.

A vertical jump once measured at 36 1/2 inches led to him earning the nickname “The Leaping Tongan” from fans during his days at the University of Iowa. It was a name that referenced both his uncommon athleticism and heritage: Both of his parents were born and raised in Tonga.

Reminded of that recently, Moeaki laughed and said he has had enough nicknames through the years he has had trouble keeping track.

Unfortunately, he can also say the same about injuries, which have too often provided sudden and unexpected hurdles in his football career.

He had elbow, hand, leg and concussion issues at Iowa, a history that contributed to falling to the third round of the 2010 draft, where he was taken by Kansas City.

After a breakout rookie year in which he caught 47 passes for 556 yards, the injury bug again hit. A torn ACL cost him the 2011 season, a shoulder injury held him out of all but two games in 2013, and a torn hamstring in the exhibition season this year led to his release by the Buffalo Bills as training camp ended.

After the hamstring injury, Moeaki returned home to Chicago and waited to get healthy and for the phone to ring.

A couple other teams showed interest, he said, but he, well, leapt at a chance to try out for the Seahawks when injuries hit their tight ends at the beginning of November (regular starter Zach Miller was placed on season-ending injured reserve shortly after Moeaki signed).

Convinced Moeaki was healthy, Seattle acted equally quickly to sign him. Moeaki marvels now at how he seemingly went overnight from having no idea about his future in football to being a member of the defending Super Bowl champions.

“I basically got cleared, and a week later I was (with) Seattle playing in a game,” he said. “That’s how fast it works in this league.”

It didn’t take Moeaki, 6-feet-3, 252 pounds, much longer to begin making an impact with the Seahawks.

He was inactive for his first game, but then became an integral part of the offense the past three weeks. He caught a touchdown pass at Kansas City against his former team. And he set up a field goal with a 63-yard catch and run Thursday against the 49ers, the Seahawks’ longest play of the season. He was on the field for 41 of 65 snaps in Seattle’s 19-3 win.

He has six catches for 98 yards and also has shown improved pass-blocking, according to Seattle coach Pete Carroll.

Carroll says the Seahawks “had a pretty good thought that he could be a help,” but added, “I guess we could say we are really pleasantly surprised” by how much and how quickly Moeaki has contributed.