Local Superbowl 'Athlete Built Himself From Ground Up'

When you watch this weekend's Super Bowl showdown, make sure to keep an eye out for the New York Giants' Dave Tollefson, number 71. 

The Walnut Creek native and NFL defensive end is a 1999 graduate of Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord, where he was a two-time All-league and All-City selection as a linebacker under Warriors head coach Tim Murphy. 

"He wasn't a natural athlete when he joined the program," said Murphy, who was recently rehired to revive Ygnacio Valley's football program. "He is the epitome of an athlete who built himself from the ground up — which people really respect."

Murphy said Tollefson was a skinny high school sophomore when he "hit the weight room harder than anybody and put in a lot of hard work to become bigger, faster and stronger."

On Sunday, that skinny sophomore will be a 260-pound NFL player representing the East Bay for the second time as the New York Giants take on the New England Patriots Sunday afternoon at Super Bowl XLVI. 

Tollefson played for two years at Los Medanos College after graduating from high school in Concord in 1999, then at Northwest Missouri State after he recovered from injuries suffered in junior college.

After being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2006, Tollefson joined the Oakland Raiders off-season squad in 2007 and played in NFL Europa. He was picked up by the New York Giants in late 2007. 

Did you know Tollefson in high school or from around town? Tell us in the comments.