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Second-round pick in 2009 draft played as No. 1 MLB in 2011, after two productive seasons at SLB ... Finished second on team in tackles (115), despite missing three games with an ankle sprain ... Led team in forced fumbles (three) and tied for team lead in combined fumbles forced/recovered (four).

2011 HIGHLIGHTS: GENERAL: Started 13 games (Games 1-5 and 9-16) at MLB, and also started in Wild Card playoff ... Sidelined for Games 6-8 due to ankle sprain suffered in practice Oct. 13 ... Had one INT, three passes defensed and a fumble recovery ... Supported effort for Bengals defense to finish season ranked seventh in NFL in fewest yards allowed per game (316.3), 10th in fewest rushing yards allowed (104.7), fourth in fewest yards allowed per offensive play (5.0), eighth in fewest yards per rushing play (3.9) and fifth in total sacks (45).

SIGNATURE PLAY BY REY: Though the Bengals squandered a lead and lost Dec. 11 vs. Houston, Maualuga made arguably the defense’s most impressive play of the season. On a first-and-goal play from the Bengals one in the second quarter, he stopped RB Ben Tate for a two-yard loss, forced a fumble and then recovered it. It was part of a huge momentum shift at the time, as the offense responded with a 97-yard drive to take a 13-3 lead. Maualuga forced another fumble in the game, by RB Arian Foster, and Bengals DT Geno Atkins recovered. But Atkins then fumbled it back to the Texans.

2011 GAME-BY-GAME: Made first career start at MLB Sept. 11 at Cleveland and logged seven tackles, helping hold Browns to 83 rushing yards on 26 attempts (3.2) … Led team in tackles (12) Sept. 18 at Denver … Second on team in tackles (nine) Sept. 25 vs. San Francisco, and also forced a fumble by 49ers RB Frank Gore at Bengals 16 in fourth quarter (recovered by Jonathan Fanene), setting up a field goal … Had team-leading 12 tackles Oct. 2 vs. Buffalo, along with a pass defensed, and had key two-yard tackle for loss on RB Fred Jackson on final Bills possession … Team-leading 10 tackles Oct. 9 at Jacksonville, along with a key pass defensed as Bengals held Jaguars to a second-quarter field goal after Jacksonville returned an INT to Cincinnati 2-yard line … On Nov. 13 vs. Pittsburgh, in first action after missing three games, logged seven tackles (third on team) ... Five tackles Nov. 20 at Baltimore … Eight tackles (second on team) Nov. 27 vs. Cleveland, including a tackle for loss … Eight tackles Dec. 4 at Pittsburgh … On Dec. 11 vs. Houston, totaled 10 tackles (tied for second on team), with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery … Eight tackles (tied for second) Dec. 18 at St. Louis ... Set up first Bengals score Dec. 24 vs. Arizona, intercepting John Skelton pass with two-yard return to Cardinals 23 ... Led team with personal season-high 14 tackles Jan. 1 vs. Baltimore ... Three tackles in Wild Card playoff 1-7-12 at Houston.

PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2010 - Tied for club lead with six tackles Sept. 26 at Carolina, including team-best five solos, and helped hold Panthers rushing duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to 77 net yards … Nine tackles (led LBs) Oct. 10 vs. Tampa Bay, including 10-yard sack of Josh Freeman that helped set up game’s first TD drive in first quarter … Led team with 13 tackles Oct. 31 vs. Miami … On Nov. 25 at N.Y. Jets, had his first pro INT, off Mark Sanchez, with 11-yard return in third quarter … Seven tackles and QB pressure Dec. 19 vs. Cleveland … On Dec. 26 vs. San Diego, had key INT against Philip Rivers, returning it 47 yards to San Diego 21 in third quarter, setting up TD drive for 20-10 Cincinnati lead.

2009 - Had five tackles Sept. 13 vs. Denver in NFL debut, and led special teams with two tackles … Had key forced fumble against RB Ryan Grant in third quarter Sept. 20 at Green Bay, with Bengals recovering at their 38 and driving 62 yards for TD that put Cincinnati ahead to stay … Also at Green Bay, had sack and forced fumble on Aaron Rodgers (Packers recovered) and six total tackles … His six tackles Sept. 27 vs. Pittsburgh included stop of RB Willie Parker for two-yard loss … Left Pittsburgh game in third quarter with knee injury, but returned in fourth quarter … Had 10 tackles in win Oct. 11 at Baltimore, tying for team lead … Had seven tackles Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh as defense allowed Steelers only 226 net yards … On Nov. 29 vs. Cleveland, tied for second on team with six tackles, contributing to defensive yield of just 169 net yards, fewest allowed by Bengals defense since 1983 (154 at Pittsburgh on 12-4-83) … Had personal season-high 11 tackles Dec. 13 at Minnesota, including one-yard tackle for loss of RB Adrian Peterson, and forced Darius Reynaud fumble on punt return (Vikings recovered) … On Dec. 27 vs. Kansas City, had four tackles on just eight snaps before leaving game with fractured left ankle.

COLLEGE: Played 50 games with 34 starts over four seasons (2005-08) at USC … Named a freshman All-American in ’05, and was first-team All-Pac 10 in his final three seasons, topped by consensus All-American honors as a senior … Won 2008 Bednarik Award (nation’s top defensive player) and was named National Defensive Player of the Year by CBSSports.com … As a senior, was leading tackler (79) on a unit that led the nation in scoring defense (9.0 points per game) and finished second in fewest yards allowed (221.8) … Helped lead Trojans to a 46-6 record over his four seasons.

PERSONAL: Parents are native Samoans, and he grew up in a military family … Born in Oklahoma City, but moved with family as an infant to Honolulu, where he lived until age 12 … Later lived in Oxnard, Calif., and Eureka, Calif. … Attended Eureka High School, where he was named a first-team All-American as a senior by both Parade and USA Today … Spent his 2001 prep freshman year at St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, Calif. … Sociology major at USC … Name is pronounced “RAY mow(rhymes w/’now’)-uh-LOO-guh.”