Sione Vaki

Running Back, Detroit Lions · #33.

Player facts

Team: Detroit Lions
Position: Running Back
Number: 33
Born: Jul 30, 2001 (age 25)
Birthplace: Antioch, CA, USA
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 216 lbs
College: Utah
Experience: 3 seasons
Status: Active

Stats

2026 Offense

	CAR	YDS	AVG	LNG	REC	YDS	AVG	LNG
Regular Season	15	51	3.4	7	4	52	13.0	17
Last 5 Games	15	51	4.2	7	4	52	13.0	17
Career	22	69	3.1	7	7	89	12.7	17

Advanced stats

2026 season through week 6. EPA per play is the points a play added to the team’s expected score; success rate is the share of plays that kept the offense on schedule; CPOE is completion percentage over what the throws’ difficulty predicted. Rank is by EPA per play.

	Plays	EPA/play	Success	CPOE	League rank
Rushing	15 carries	-0.19	33%		fewer than 36 plays
Receiving	5 targets	+0.67	80%		fewer than 24 plays

NFL data: nflverse, CC BY 4.0.

Recent games

			Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
Date	Opponent	Result	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LNG	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LNG	FUM	LST
Sun, Oct 11	@ ARI	W 45-21	6	11	1.8	0	6	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
Sun, Oct 4	@ CAR	L 32-26	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	17	17.0	0	17	0	0
Sun, Sep 27	vs NYJ	W 31-24	6	26	4.3	0	7	1	11	11.0	0	11	0	0
Thu, Sep 17	@ BUF	L 41-31	1	7	7.0	0	7	1	13	13.0	0	13	0	0
Sun, Sep 13	vs NO	W 31-30 OT	2	7	3.5	0	4	1	11	11.0	0	11	0	0

Last 5 games. Click a game for its box score.

About

Sione Vaki (born July 30, 2001) is an American professional football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes as a two-way player. Vaki was selected by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

From Wikipedia’s article on Sione Vaki, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.¹

Background

Early life

Vaki attended Liberty High School in Brentwood, California. In high school, he played on both sides of the ball. On offense he rushed for 401 yards and seven touchdowns, while also bringing in 107 receptions for 2,203 yards and 32 touchdowns. On defense, he notched 142 tackles with one being for a loss, five interceptions, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and two defensive touchdowns, Vaki also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Vaki committed to play college football at the University of Utah.

College career

In his true freshman season, Vaki totalled 41 tackles with 3.5 going for a loss, three pass deflections, and a forced fumble in the 2022 season.

In week one of the 2023 season, he recorded his first career interception versus the Florida Gators. In week seven, Vaki had a breakout game where he played both ways of the ball as he rushed 15 times for 158 yards and two touchdown to help the Utes beat California. In the following week, he rushed nine times for 68 yards, while also hauling in five receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns, while also notching two tackles and having the best coverage grade on the Utes, as helped them upset USC 34–32. The rest of the season, the Utes formulated a plan to use Vaki more on offense.

As a sophomore, Vaki finished the season with 51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks and two interceptions on defense. On offense he had 317 yards rushing (7.5 yards per carry) and two rushing touchdowns. As well as 11 receptions for 203 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He was voted to the first-team All-Pac-12 team twice in 2023, both as a safety and a special teams/all-purpose player. Following the 2023 season, Vaki declared for the 2024 NFL draft after playing two seasons of college football, as he went on a three-year mission trip following his high school graduation.

Personal life

Vaki lost his mother Oto’ota due to cancer. Vaki is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; he started to serve a mission for the church in the Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Mission, but was reassigned to the West Salt Lake City, Utah, Mission due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Wikipedia’s article on Sione Vaki, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article.¹