Kamehameha-Hawai`i Graduate Silva Picks Up INT in Dallas Win

Don’t tell Mana Silva that preseason games don’t matter.

For bubble guys like him, preseason games determine whether they will be on an NFL roster when the season begins September 5. Silva has been slowly moving up the ranks with the Dallas Cowboys, currently landing as the number two strong safety on the team to go along with his special teams duties. But, as many in the industry know, that can immediately be taken away with one poor outing or someone else’s standout performance.

The Kamehameha-Hawai`i and University of Hawai`i graduate did a lot to help his own cause Monday in a nationally televised preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. Silva’s stat line showed four tackles, which trumps the three tackles he collected for the team all last season.

His highlight play, however, was the one that sealed his team’s victory. With under a minute left in the fourth quarter, Silva intercepted a pass thrown by Raiders third-string quarterback Terrelle Pryor and returned it 36 yards before sliding down on the O.co Coliseum baseball dirt. That allowed the Cowboys to squeeze out the clock and leave Oakland with a win.

Silva joined the Cowboys last season to help shore up depth at the safety position following several injuries. He played in two regular season games, mainly on special teams. Many analysts feel that his hard work is hard for the franchise to ignore, leading the possibility that Silva may make the opening day roster as, at the very least, a special teams “specialist.”