{{Short description|American football player (born 1975)}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | image = | alt = | caption = | number = 45 | position = Fullback | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|4|16}} | birth_place = Santa Ana, California, U.S. | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lbs = 260 | high_school = Mater Dei (Santa Ana) | college = Ohio State | draftyear = 1997 | draftround = 4 | draftpick = 129 | undraftedyear = | pastteams = * Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1997}}–{{NFL Year|1998}}) * Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|1999}})* | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 26 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 1 | pfr = SualNi00 }} '''Nicky Sualua''' (born April 16, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL draft.
==Early life== Sualua began playing football in his freshman year at Santiago High School, where he was a guard and defensive tackle. The next year, he transferred to Mater Dei High School, where he played as a fullback and defensive end.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reilley |first=Mike |date=September 11, 1992 |title=Sualua Trims Down, Shapes Up : Prep football: Mater Dei senior lost weight to earn starting fullback job |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-11-sp-360-story.html |access-date=February 19, 2017 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> As a sophomore, he helped his team compile a 13–1 record and win the state title.
As a senior, he had 85 carries for 562 yards (6.6 avg.) and nine touchdowns, despite missing five games with a high ankle sprain he suffered in the opening game. He was voted the MVP of the South Coast League and scored six touchdowns in the opening round of the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-28-sp-2545-story.html | title=Mater Dei's Sualua Picks Ohio State | website=Los Angeles Times | access-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref> He also lettered in wrestling and weightlifting, winning the state title in 1991.
==College career== Sualua accepted a football scholarship from Ohio State University. After being redshirted as a freshman, he started the last eight games of his sophomore year at fullback, blocking for Eddie George. He tallied 18 carries for 106 yards and seven receptions for 70 yards. He posted career-highs with six carries for 44 yards against the University of Alabama in the Citrus Bowl.
He started the final 10 games of his junior season, blocking for George on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy in 1995. He registered 18 carries for 106 rushing yards (5.9 avg.), 17 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He had career-highs with 5 receptions for 57 yards against the University of Michigan.
He declared as an early entrant to the NFL draft, after being ruled academically ineligible to play in his senior season (1996).<ref>{{cite web| url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19970101/2516635/college-football----5-more-years-asu-snyder-agree-to-deal | title=College Football -- 5 More Years: Asu, Snyder Agree To Deal | access-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref>
==Professional career== ===Dallas Cowboys=== Sualua was selected in the fourth round (129th overall) of the 1997 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys, to develop as the eventual successor to Pro Bowl fullback Daryl Johnston.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1997 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1997/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> As a rookie, he was declared inactive in the first 6 games, until Johnston suffered a season ending neck injury against the Washington Redskins in the sixth contest of the season. Although he was active, he remained a backup behind Herschel Walker until the season finale against the New York Giants.
On May 6, 1999, former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Mark Tuinei was found unconscious in his car after spending the previous evening with Sualua. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital in the Dallas suburb of Plano, with the autopsy revealing that he died of a combination of heroin and a form of the drug ecstasy.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-11-sp-36193-story.html | title=Teammate Links Drugs to Tuinei | website=Los Angeles Times | access-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref> His death was ruled an accidental overdose and Sualua was never charged or suspended for the events surrounding Tuinei's death.
He was waived on June 15, 1999, with the team claiming it was for football reasons.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://newsok.com/sualua-released/article/2657254 | title=Sualua Released | accessdate=February 19, 2017}}</ref> In his first two years he was mainly a backup and played on the special teams units.
===Cincinnati Bengals=== On June 25, 1999, Sualua was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://bengals.enquirer.com/1999/06/26/ben_bengals_nab_dallas.html | title=Bengals nab Dallas' Sualua off waivers | accessdate=February 19, 2017 | archive-date=October 4, 2002 | archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20021004202054/http://bengals.enquirer.com/1999/06/26/ben_bengals_nab_dallas.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> He was released with an injury settlement on September 2.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.courant.com/1999/09/03/transactions-3717/ | title=Transactions | access-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life== His cousin Troy Polamalu was an All-Pro strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Another cousin, Rawlston Masaniai, played soccer for the American Samoa national team.<ref name="subtle">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/159004617/?clipping_id=118581371|title=Masaniai's Subtlety Is Not Overlooked|work=Los Angeles Times|date=25 November 2000|first=Dave|last=McKibben|access-date=13 February 2023|page=249|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{NFT player|pid=27470|name=Rawlston Masaniai |access-date=13 February 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-31-sp-63079-story.html Ohio State's Sualua Is a Reluctant Fullback] {{Cowboys1997DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sualua, Nicky}} Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Santa Ana, California Category:American football fullbacks Category:Ohio State Buckeyes football players Category:Dallas Cowboys players Category:Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California) alumni