Tony Conty:  What is your current height, weight, and 40 time?

Raymond Manumaleuna:  I'm 6'2", 318, and my 40 is about 5.1


Tony Conty:  Describe the circumstances that brought you to New Mexico State after a stint at Snow College.

Raymond Manumaleuna:  It was one of the coaches from back home.  It was between the University of Hawaii and New Mexico State, but, being from Hawai'i, I thought that I was going to play at Hawaii, but I guess things didn't work out, so I ended up at New Mexico State, which was pretty cool.  


Tony Conty:  A lot was made out of it, because you come from a background that has a lot of NFL players.  You were in the OIA championship back in Oahu.  Did you know that you had bigger things ahead of you at that point?

Raymond Manumaleuna: Where we come from in Hawaii is a small place where football is really big, so there are a lot of role models who live in our small community, players like Itula Mili and the Kemeoatu brothers and a lot of others who really influence our small community.  I guess it's everybody's goal to make a name for their family and go on in football.  


Tony Conty:  Now, did you initially plan to go to Utah?

Raymond Manumaleuna:  Yeah, out of high school, I originally signed with the University of Utah, but things didn't work out for whatever reason.  I got back and went to junior college at Snow, went on a church mission, and then enrolled at New Mexico State.


Tony Conty:  I read about that part.  What other schools showed you interest other than Utah?

Raymond Manumaleuna:  Out of high school? I was talking to BYU, University of Utah, University of Arizona, and Hawaii.  Those were the four main (ones), I guess, that were interested.


Tony Conty:  Now, we watched some of your tape and I think that your most impressive game was against Hawaii this year.   Are you the type of player who secretly wishes that he played a position with more highlight reel potential? If you are a Nose Guard, you are not going to be on ESPN all that often.  Do you secretly wish that you played a position that got more attention?

Raymond Manumaleuna:  Oh, for sure.  Every play, I guess.  Our Defensive Coordinator, Woody Widenhofer, was famous for his invention of the Steel Curtain.  In my two years at New Mexico State, we just strictly two-gapped.  Our whole Defensive Line...I guess any Defensive Tackle or Nose Guard wishes he could just head upfield and do your pass rush moves or whatever to get upfield, but this is a defense that is strictly two-gap, so we just stayed home.  It was all lateral movement, but we all wish that we could head upfield and cause havoc.  We were just strictly two-gapping.  


Tony Conty:  You did take your two years off for a mission, I read.  Describe what it is like, because Nose Guard is kind of a complex position, so describe what it's like to come back to football after taking two years off.

Raymond Manumaleuna:  It was hard, I mean, you go out.  On a mission, you don't work out, and coming back and putting on pads:  it's good to get that feel again.  I remember, though, it was weird on the first day to Snow, the Junior College.  My first day at practice was just different.  It took a week to get back into things and then it was alright.  


Tony Conty:  This year, in general, for the Aggies was kind of tough.  It was a high-powered WAC (it has been for a couple years now) and your defense gave a lot of points up.  Talk about what it took to be positive and remain positive during those times.

Raymond Manumaleuna:  Our team went through a lot of hardships, but just encourage the younger guys to keep playing, you know, not to give up.  It gets hard, but you have to keep playing and give it your all.  Don't give up.


Tony Conty:  Now, from your perspective, talk to us about what a Nose Guard should be thinking about before the snap.

Raymond Manumaleuna:  Make sure you occupy both A-gaps.  That's your responsibility.  Just do your job.  Our main job was to occupy 2 or 3 blockers so that the Linebackers can roam free and make plays.  That's what our defense was really based on.  You could decoy on our line as well so that the Linebackers can roam free and make plays.  Just fill your gap and make sure that nobody gets into your gap.


Tony Conty:  You developed into a Nose Guard.  You left high school ball weighing at about 275.  Talk about your training regimen to make sure that you are putting on good weight.

Raymond Manumaleuna: I was kind of light in high school.  When I went on my mission, you know, you hardly work out and people feed you really well, so I put on 20-25 pounds.  I came back and had to turn that extra 25 pounds to more of a lean size.  I really have no problem putting on weight.  I guess that being Polynesian, we eat.  We just love to eat naturally, I guess.


Tony Conty:  We don't want to stereotype here...

Raymond Manumaleuna:  No, it's all good.


Tony Conty: You have the dimensions to play, since you talk about two-gapping and working the two-technique, some may see you as a 3-4 end.  Do you have a preference as to the type in which you play at the next level?

Raymond Manumaleuna:  When I first came into New Mexico State, they had me at Defensive End.  It was the hardest position on the Defensive Line.  At high school and at Snow, I played Defensive Tackle, 3-technique, and even at Snow, they had me at the end position where you have to be a lot faster and think more quickly because you don't want anything coming from outside.  You always have to contain.  My favorite is like a 3-technique in a 4-3 defense, but the next level...everyone dreams of playing at that level.  I would play anywhere there.  I'm down for whatever, but if I have a preference, I would love to play the inside, the 3-technique in the 4-3.  At that position, you are kind of limited, but we have great coaches and do as we are taught.  


Tony Conty:  Your coach (Hal Mumme) just got a 1-year extension and your Defensive Line Coach (Fanoga) is very popular as well.  Describe your relationship with them.

Raymond Manumaleuna:  With both coaches? Oh, they are really good men, on and off the field.  They are coaches that teach you a lot, not only on the field, but in the classroom as well.  They try to assure that you'll do good.  Coach Mumme is a good guy and Coach Fanoga is one of the reasons that a lot of the Polynesian kids find their way to New Mexico State.  He recruits heavily from the islands.  He brings a lot of Hawaii boys to New Mexico.  Pretty good coaches and good men.  I enjoyed working with them for the past two years.  


Tony Conty:  Now, speaking of the Polynesian connection, let's see:  you went to high school with Chris Kemeoatu and Aaron Francisco as well.  Your cousin Brandon has made his mark on the NFL.  J. T. Mapu is connected to you and your cousin Ethan is a freshman at BYU.  Have you talked to any of these people about their path to the NFL and what it takes?

Raymond Manumaleuna:  During the holidays...you see, we're from a small town, so we usually see each other around and we chat and talk sports.  Pretty much, you see everybody around, the Kemeoatu brothers and Francisco.  It's amazing to see how far they've come.  Surely, we ask them for advice and how it is: what is was like and what they went through.  Every time we go home, we see each other and talk and laugh.  It's a small town where everybody knows everybody.  


Tony Conty:  Who are the toughest offensive linemen that you faced in your time in the WAC?

Raymond Manumaleuna:  There's a lot of good offensive linemen. The most disciplined and physical O-line would have to be Boise State.  They fire off, they come low and they don't stop until the whistle blows, so I'll have to say Boise State.  


Tony Conty:  What do you think about Roger Goodell's stance on off-the-field issues and how that has really taken center stage?

Raymond Manumaleuna:  Your personality and your character is a big issue...you have great athletes, but they just make some bad choices.  You see a lot of that in the NFL nowadays.  I have no idea what to say...you have good athletes...they just make bad choices.  They are role models to a lot of the kids and whatnot.  I have no idea how they go about it ...the choices that they make but they are not the best choices.  


Tony Conty:  I guess you don't think about it much if you don't predict yourself being a problem. Now,  self-promote.  Why should teams consider you more than they have and give you a shot at the next level?

Raymond Manumaleuna: The love for the game and...I think I can play in a 4-3...my dreams and desires are to get upfield and cause problems in the backfield.  That's my goal: to show coaches who I am and get to a camp.


Tony Conty:  We thank you for your time and wish you the best of luck this off-season.

Raymond Manumaleuna:  Thank you.