The Philadelphia Eagles are signing Pittsburgh Maulers DT Olive Sagapolu, following a successful workout last week.
While the Maulers had an up and down season offensively, their defense was quite consistent. Olive Sagapolu played a key role in Pittsburgh’s defensive success, serving as one of the top defensive lineman in the USFL.
Contract Terminated / Signing with NFL Team:
•DT Olive Sagapolu
— Pittsburgh Maulers (@USFLMaulers) August 14, 2023
Bryan Webster confirmed the signing. Olive Sagapolu joined the Pittsburgh Maulers for the USFL’s inaugural season, and played quite well. In 2022, he posted 28 tackles, alongside two sacks.
💥 Deuxième sack du match pour @OSagapolu #USFL #USFL2023 #footus pic.twitter.com/yeCrAKtvgH
— Spring Football News (@SpringFBnews) April 16, 2023
In 2023, Sagapolu continued to make an impact. He finished the year with 22 tackles, three TFL, and four sacks. Olive was a menace in the trenches, feasting with a line that was one of the best – if not the best – in the entire league this year.
HUGE TURNOVER!!! The touchdown does not stand, but the ball is ours! 👏 #USFLChampionship
🎥: @nbc | @peacock pic.twitter.com/MSp1gXwE7T
— Pittsburgh Maulers (@USFLMaulers) July 2, 2023
One of his highlights came in the USFL Championship game, against Birmingham. Reuben Foster forced a fumble on QB Alex McGough, and Sagapolu scooped it up. He then handed it to Eli Walker, who returned it for a touchdown. Unfortunately, a forward handoff negated the score.
WHEN @OSagapolu CALLED GAME! ⚒️pic.twitter.com/KkjQOqnkSG
— Pittsburgh Maulers (@USFLMaulers) June 25, 2023
In addition, Sagapolu sent Pittsburgh to the Championship, batting away a pass at the line of scrimmage in overtime.
For Sagapolu, the NFL isn’t new territory. The former Wisconsin standout spent time with the Green Bay Packers, and Atlanta Falcons.
Now, he’ll be able to pursue his NFL dream once again, this time with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have already signed another USFL athlete, with Stallions WR Deon Cain heading there a couple of weeks ago.
Final Thoughts
So far, the Pittsburgh Maulers have sent three players to the NFL, including:
LB Kyahva Tezino (San Francisco)
DB Mark Gilbert (Miami)
Gilbert has since been released from the Dolphins due to an injury.
Had it not been for the platform – and the national exposure – that the USFL provided him with, who knows if this opportunity would have come along.
You can stay up to date on all these USFL to NFL signings with our official tracker.
What are your thoughts on Olive Sagapolu signing with the Philadelphia Eagles? Which USFL player will be next? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!