Salt Lake Stallions Sign Four More Locals
Dec 22, 2018, 5:01 PM | Updated: 6:30 pm
Tenny Palepoi #91 of the Utah Utes gathers in a fumble by Kevin Hogan #8 of the Stanford Cardinal during the second half of an NCAA football game October 12, 2013 at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah Beat Stanford 27-21. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
(Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football announced that they have signed three more players with local ties.
General Manager Randy Mueller tweeted that the team has signed former BYU safety Micah Hannemann as well as former Utah defensive linemen Tenny Palepoi and Sealver Silinga.
He also announced the signing of former BYU wide receiver Jordan Leslie but Leslie tweeted the announcement one day before Mueller.
@aafstallions are happy to add some more local flavor to our stable @Jles9 Jordan Leslie, Micah Hannemann, from @BYUfootball and Tenny Palepoi, Sealver Siliga @Utah_Football via @NFL #jointhealliance
— Randy Mueller (@RandyMueller_) December 22, 2018
The trio makes it 16 players with local ties to Utah, BYU or Utah State that has signed with the Stallions. Hannemann is the fifth BYU player to join the team. Palepoi and Siliga are the eighth and ninth players from the Utes to sign with the Stallions.
Micah Hannemann
Hannemann returns to Utah after two brief stints in the NFL, spending almost four months with the Cleveland Browns before being waived and recently spent 13 days with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Micah Hannemann #7 of the BYU Cougars defends against Danny Davis III #6 of the Wisconsin Badgers during a game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
He played four seasons with the Cougars in 2012 and from 2015-17, playing in 44 games, starting 22 games at safety and 13 contests at cornerback. Hannemann ended his career with 123 total tackles, four interceptions and 14 pass breakups. He played high school football at Lone Peak High School.
Tenny Palepoi
The former Ute started his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers in 2014 when he signed with the team as an undrafted free agent. Palepoi was forced to sit the entire 2015 season with a fractured foot but was re-signed by the Chargers in 2017.
He recorded 53 total tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery during his time with the Chargers. Palepoi signed with the Buffalo Bills in April but was released in July before being signed again by the Bills in August but was released four days later.
Palepoi started his collegiate career at Snow College from 2010-11 before he transferred to the University of Utah and played the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He was a second team All-Pac-12 selection and team captain in 2013. The defensive tackle finished his career at Utah with 74 tackles, 12 and a half for loss and six and a half sacks. He prepped at Skyline High School.
Sealver Siliga
He started his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent and spent over a month in the bay area before being released. Siliga joined the Denver Broncos practice squad in October of 2011 and was added to active roster before the 2012 season opener.
In August of 2013, Siliga was traded to the Seattle Seahawks and was later released but re-signed to their practice squad in September.
He was signed to the New England Patriots practice squad in October of 2013 and was activated to the 53-man roster and played five games. Siliga was injured early in the 2014 season and placed on the injured reserve but with designation to return. He was activated on December 6 and started and won Super Bowl XLIX with the Patriots.
Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Seattle Seahawks avoids a tackle by Sealver Siliga #96 of the New England Patriots in the third quarter during Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Siliga signed with Seattle for a second time in 2016 on a one-year contract but was placed on injured reserve. The team released him in September and was re-signed in October but was waived again in November.
He was claimed off of waivers by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just one day after his release from Seattle and re-signed with the team in March of 2017. This season, he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in August and spent nearly a month with the Jaguars before being released.
During his NFL career, he recorded 102 tackles, six and a half sacks and one forced fumble.
Siliga played for Utah for three seasons and finished with 97 tackles from 2008-10. He was named All-Mountain West Honorable Mention after his sophomore and junior seasons.
The Salt Lake Stallions just wrapped up mini camp and will open their 2019 season on February 10 in Arizona. Their home opener will be on February 16 against Birmingham at Rice Eccles Stadium.
Kaelin Clay
Clay was selected in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He did not play a single snap for Tampa Bay before being cut in the preseason.
Kaelin Clay #81 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates his punt return for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 30, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
He signed with the Detroit Lions to play on their practice squad and was signed from there by the Baltimore Ravens on November 17, 2015. In just his second NFL game, Clay returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football.
He was waived by Detroit prior to the 2016 season and spent two stints apiece with the Carolina Panthers and the Buffalo Bills before ending his career with the New York Giants.
He played just one season at the University of Utah and will forever be remember for prematurely celebrating a long touchdown against Oregon by dropping the ball on the 1-yard line. The ball was scooped up and taken the other way for a Ducks touchdown.
Despite that miscue, he was named to the first team All-Pac-12 as a return specialist.
