‘He’s the real deal’: Tongan origins, family sacrifice propel UBC’s Giovanni Manu to NFL opportunity [Video]

In a historic iteration of the NFL draft, the Detroit Lions orchestrated one of the event’s biggest surprises by trading up to select Giovanni Manu.

A surprise nearly as big as the 6-foot-7, 350-pound offensive lineman from the University of British Columbia, himself.

Flying quietly under the radar throughout the pre-draft process, little was promised to Manu ahead of the three-day spectacle hosted in Detroit.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be drafted, but I knew I was going to get a shot,” Manu told CBC Sports. “And I told myself, if I get that shot, I’m going to prove to people that I deserve to be in the NFL — I’m going to make a roster.”

WATCH | UBC blocker Manu readies for NFL opportunity with Detroit Lions:

The UBC Thunderbird became the first player from UBC to get drafted into the NFL.

Not only did Manu …