LOCALS IN THE NFL

Utah Football Product Sione Vaki Making Good Impression With Detroit Lions

Aug 18, 2024, 11:44 AM

SALT LAKE CITY – Even after moving up to the NFL level, former Utah Football two-way standout Sione Vaki continues to do what he’s always done, make plays.

In Saturday’s preseason contest against the reigning Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs, Vaki had quite a day. He finished the game with 81  total yards on 10 touches.

Vaki’s performance was highlighted by a four-catch 60-yard effort on a single 15-play, 83-yard scoring drive for the Lions just before halftime.

Sione Vaki’s further along according to head coach Dan Campbell

“The more you learn about a player and the faster you figure out what they can do, the better off it is for everybody,” head coach Dan Campbell said of Vaki after the game.

RELATED: Every Day, Former Utah WR Devaughn Vele Makes A Play For Broncos

He moved to running back out of sheer necessity last season for Utah. Now, with Detroit, Vaki has continued to showcase more and more promise on offense.

“We already felt like this kid is going to have the ability to play special teams. So now it’s like, ‘Well, can you use him on offense? Is there a place?'” Campbell continued. “He’s a lot further along in that (passing) part of the game than he is just carrying the football. A lot of that is just he hasn’t done it.”

In two seasons of action, he finished his college career with 90 total tackles, 70 solo tackles, five pass breakups, two sacks, and one interception on defense.

He added 317 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 11 receptions for 203 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in seven game appearances on offense.

Utah Football Schedule

Utah will kick off the season against Southern Utah on August 29. You can find Utah football’s conference schedule here.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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