The first player in NFL history drafted out of the University of British Columbia, a 6-foot-7 tackle who left Tonga at age 11 chasing a better life.
Giovanni Manu is a massive offensive tackle whose path to the NFL ran through Tonga, Vancouver, and a Canadian university program that had never produced an NFL draft pick before him. Selected by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2024 draft as part of the league's International Player Pathway program, he's still developing behind Detroit's veteran offensive line.
Path to the league
Manu left his parents in Tonga at age 11 to live with family in Vancouver, where a growth spurt in high school helped turn him into a 6-foot-7, 354-pound prospect. He played five seasons at the University of British Columbia from 2019 to 2023, starting all 38 games he appeared in and earning back-to-back second-team All-Canadian honors in 2022 and 2023 while helping UBC reach the Vanier Cup. The Lions traded up to select him in the fourth round, 126th overall, in 2024, making him the first NFL draft pick in UBC history.
Career highlights
Manu was the first International Player Pathway participant selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, a program designed to develop international prospects for NFL rosters. He helped lead UBC to its first Vanier Cup appearance since 2015 during his final college season.
2025 season recap
Manu remained a developmental piece on Detroit's offensive line in 2025, appearing in four games with one start as he continues working toward a larger role, including reps at guard as the Lions evaluate his versatility.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Giovanni Manu
- ESPN: Giovanni Manu
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- British Columbia
- Hometown
- Pitt Meadows, BC, Canada
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
