'A BLESSING IN DISGUISE'

Fonoti tries redemption song

On his way to recovery from weight problems

CHARLES CHANDLER

cchandler@charlotteobserver.com

Staff Photographer

Carolina Panthers guard Toniu Fonoti is in his sixth season out of Nebraska. He played for San Diego during his first four seasons, blocking for LaDainian Tomlinson. (ROBERT LAHSER -- rlahser@charlotteobserver.com)

Sunday has become a special day for Carolina Panthers guard Toniu Fonoti.

It's the one day each week he allows himself to eat sweets.

After weight problems almost shipwrecked his NFL career, he opted to work out more vigorously and curtail his food consumption.

"It's hard, but after a while, you get used to it," he said.

Fonoti, whose name is pronounced TONE-you FONE-oh-tee, is a wild card in the Panthers' offensive line reconstruction.

Team officials are hoping he returns to the form he showed early in his career with the San Diego Chargers. A second-round draft pick out of Nebraska in 2002, he was an excellent blocker for star running back LaDainian Tomlinson in '02 and '04 (he was injured in '03).

Then his weight ballooned and his off-field problems included a family feud, financial difficulty, injuries and a car accident, according to news reports.

"I was only 20 years old" as a rookie, said Fonoti, an American Samoan who lives in Hawaii. "I had to grow up. I don't think I had matured like I should have. I think I took some things for granted and it didn't pan out the way I wanted it to.

"It was just not being able to deal or cope with a lot of things. You come in (to the NFL) and it's strictly football, and when you go outside, football has nothing to do with it. You have to deal with life. I think I took it lightly."

The Chargers grew so frustrated they traded Fonoti to the Vikings during the 2005 season. He played one game for Minnesota and six for Miami in '06. He was in Atlanta's training camp last summer but didn't make the roster.

Carolina decided to give him another chance, albeit at a contract price that puts the team in a no-lose situation. If he returns to form, the Panthers have hit the jackpot. If not, they lose little.

"It's a blessing in disguise," Fonoti, 26, said of everything he's been through. "It just feels good to be out with the guys and to be with the team."

Fonoti looks fit and said he weighs 340 pounds, less than he has at anytime since college. He won't say how high his weight got during his struggles, but it's believed to have hit nearly 400.

"Oh, I was big," he said, with a smile. "I'm going to leave it at that."

So far, Panthers officials are thrilled with him and hope he's learned from his mistakes. He's made an impression with his dedication in the weight room.

"I've been doing good since I've been here," he said.

"I'm in the best place possible. My mind is focused on football and football only. That's my job ... and that's what I love to do."

Fonoti said one of the main changes he's made has been to be more careful about the people he spends time with and allows to influence him.

"Now I have a tight little group which just consists of my family, me and one or two people outside of my family," he said.

Fonoti is expected to compete for the right guard position in training camp. He's currently listed as behind Keydrick Vincent, a free-agent signee who played for the Arizona Cardinals last season.

Fonoti fits the mold of the type of guard the Panthers want -- a massive mauler who can pave the way for the running game.

"I'm real excited to see where this goes," Fonoti said. "We just picked up Jonathan Stewart (in the first round of the NFL draft); he's an amazing back. DeAngelo Williams is a good one, too, so we've got a one-two punch right there."

Fonoti said he believes he can be better than he ever was with the Chargers.

"I think I can be up there (as) one of the good ones," he said. "It's just a matter of getting myself ready for it. I've done that half. Now I need to go and take the extra steps."

For the Panthers, the upside is almost beyond measure.