Last, but certainly not least

NEWPORT BEACH - The chances of Tevita Ofahengaue, Mr. Irrelevant

XXVI, making the Arizona Cardinals’ roster for the 2001 NFL season could

be a matter of being at the right place at the right time.

That is how Arizona tight end coach Pete Hoener summed up the

situation at tight end for the Cardinals going into July’s training camp.

Taking Ofahengaue in this year’s NFL draft was purposeful for Arizona,

even though it didn’t happen until the final pick.

“The biggest thing going for Tevita is the opportunity for tight ends

on this team,” Hoener said. “Our new offensive system puts more emphasis

on the tight end position than before. Going into the draft, we liked his

intensity, which is critical for that position. We liked his ability to

block and his ability to get downfield and make a catch.”

After ending mini-camp in May, Ofahengaue and the Cardinals’ staff

came away with increased optimism. “I felt good about the draft,”

Ofahengaue said. “I wish I would have copied the playbook because the

hardest part is learning the system. This offense is almost exactly what

we ran at BYU, but just the teams are different.”

Said Hoener, “He showed great desire and intensity like we thought he

had. He’s intelligent and he picks up things fast. He has a great

attitude and that’s the name of the game, no matter what level you’re

playing. Being older and more mature really helps him and you can tell he

was well-coached at BYU.”

Ofahengaue’s main competition at tight end will come from incumbent

starter Terry Hardy, who caught 27 passes for Arizona last year. Tywan

Mitchell, a converted wide receiver, and Jay Tant, who is coming off a

knee injury, will also vie for Cardinal roster spots.

“I was really surprised at how the veteran tight ends helped me at the

mini-camp,” Ofahengaue said. “People told me it was every man for himself

when you’re trying to make the NFL, but these guys were really good. They

want to win, too and do things to help the team.”