Encino's Sione Fua Selected By Carolina Panthers in NFL Draft

Sione Fua will be hopping coasts for his new gig in the NFL.

The Encino native and Crespi Carmelite High alum was selected by the Carolina Panthers in this year’s NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall Friday evening with the 97th overall pick in the third round.

The Panthers received the compensatory pick with the departure of Julius Peppers to Chicago last season.

"I'm ecstatic," Fua said in a report on the team’s Web site. "Just talking with the coaches, they really want to improve the defensive front seven. With us young defensive tackles that are coming in, I think we could really help out and contribute right away. They're dedicated to having this team get better, and we're going to be dedicated as well.”

Fua switched from the strong-side defensive tackle position to nose tackle at Stanford this season and he excelled in the transition. He led Stanford to impressive rankings in total defense (21st), scoring defense (10th) and rush defense (19th).

He played high school ball at Crespi Carmelite High where he was a highly sought recruit.

The Panthers, who selected quarterback Cam Newton out of Auburn with the top pick in the draft, also took South Florida’s Terrell McClain, another defensive tackle, with the opening pick of the third round, showing coach Ron Rivera’s hope to bolster his defense.

"We needed a couple of space-eaters, guys that take up blocks, command doubles and let our linebackers play downhill," Rivera said in the same team report. "The thing that gives you the biggest edge is to play downhill, to attack and make plays at the point of attack. I didn't feel like that was something we did well last season; the linebackers were playing sideways and backwards.”

Fua is the latest in a long list of pro football players from Crespi Carmelite High, including Randy Cross, Keith Eck, Christian Fauria, Babe Laufenberg, Russell White and Shaun Williams.