Asotui Eli

{{short description|Canadian gridiron football player (born 1996)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox CFL player |name=Asotui Eli |image=2025, 65, Asotui Eli.jpg |image_upright=1 |caption=Eli with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2025 |team=Winnipeg Blue Bombers |number=65 |position1=Offensive lineman |birth_date={{birth date and age|1996|01|31}} |birth_place=Richmond, British Columbia, Canada |Height_ft=6 |Height_in=4 |Weight_lbs=326 |College=Hawaii |CFLDraftedYear=2019 |CFLDraftedRound=4 |CFLDraftedPick=34 |playing_years1={{CFL Year|2019}}–{{CFL Year|2021}}, {{CFL Year|2023}}–present |playing_team1=Winnipeg Blue Bombers |career_highlights= *Grey Cup champion (2019, 2021) |status=Active |import=no |CFL=asotui-eli/164892/ }} '''Tavita Asotui Peter Eli''' (born January 31, 1996) is a Canadian professional football offensive lineman for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

==College career== After using a redshirt season in 2014, Eli played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors from 2015 to 2017.<ref name=Hawaii>{{cite web |title=Asotui Eli |url=https://hawaiiathletics.com/sports/football/roster/asotui-eli/16797 |publisher=Hawaii Rainbow Warriors |access-date=March 25, 2023}}</ref> An injury in 2018 cost him the entire season and he walked away from football.<ref name=rekindling>{{cite web |title=Asotui Rekindling Fire for Football |author=Ed Tait |url=https://www.bluebombers.com/2019/05/16/asotui-eli-rekindling-fire-football/ |publisher=Winnipeg Blue Bombers |date=May 16, 2019}}</ref>

==Professional career== Prior to the 2019 CFL draft, Eli was contacted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to see if he was interested in playing football again, to which he responded yes.<ref name=rekindling/> Ultimately, he was drafted in the fourth round, 34th overall by the Bombers.<ref name=rekindling/> Eli helped anchor the Bombers' offensive line during their 2019 season where he played in five regular season games. In that same season, he also played in the 107th Grey Cup where the Blue Bombers won over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33–12, which was the team's first Grey Cup in 28 years.

In a shortened 2021 season, Eli played in all 14 regular season games and the West Final.<ref name=WPGbio>{{cite web |title=Asotui Eli |url=https://www.bluebombers.com/players/asotui-eli/164892/ |publisher=Winnipeg Blue Bombers |access-date=March 25, 2023}}</ref> However, he was suspended prior to the 108th Grey Cup due to his vaccination status from COVID-19.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blue Bombers suspend Canadian offensive lineman Asotui Eli |url=https://3downnation.com/2021/12/07/blue-bombers-suspend-canadian-offensive-lineman-asotui-eli/ |publisher=3DownNation |date=December 7, 2021}}</ref><ref name=returns>{{cite web |title=Eli returns to Bombers with three-year deal |url=https://winnipegsun.com/sports/football/cfl/winnipeg-bluebombers/eli-returns-to-bombers-with-three-year-deal |publisher=Winnipeg Sun |date=January 18, 2023}}</ref> He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 8, 2022, and sat out the 2022 CFL season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2022/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=March 25, 2023}}</ref>

On January 28, 2023, Eli signed a three-year contract to return to play for the Blue Bombers.<ref name=returns/>

==Personal life== Eli was born in Richmond, British Columbia to parents Vaeluaga and Julianne Eli; he is of Samoan heritage.<ref name=Hawaii/><ref name=rekindling/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.bluebombers.com/players/asotui-eli/164892/ Winnipeg Blue Bombers bio]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eli, Asotui}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian football offensive linemen Category:Players of Canadian football from British Columbia Category:Sportspeople from Richmond, British Columbia Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Category:Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football players Category:Canadian people of Samoan descent