METAIRIE, La. -- Three weeks ago, offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga was surrounded by 100 members of his friends and family in Oahu, Hawaii.
The room erupted into cheers as Fuaga, 22, received the call that the New Orleans Saints had selected him with their first-round pick, causing an uproar so loud that Fuaga had to strain to hear Saints coach Dennis Allen on the phone.
Fuaga joked at the time that his draft celebration would likely continue well into the night. By the time he got to New Orleans to sign his contract a few weeks later, the party had dwindled down to himself and his parents, all set to begin the next phase of his career.