College Career
Maiava attended USC and played for the USC Trojan football team (2005-2008 seasons) under head coach Pete Carroll and Linebacker Coach Ken Norton Jr. The 2008 linebacker corps at USC, featuring Brian Cushing, Maiava, Clay Matthews III, and Rey Maualuga, was ranked as one of the most talented linebacker corps in college football history.
During his freshman season at USC, Maiava was selected by the team as co-special teams player of the year along with kicker Mario Danelo, he also won the Trojans' Service Team Defensive Player of the Year. In 2006, he had 34 tackles, including 3½ for losses while playing in 12 games and again winning the team's Co-Special Teams Player of the Year Award. During his junior, 2007 season, he was a key reserve, making 44 tackles, including 4½ for losses, two sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble while appearing in all 13 games and starting once, against Arizona State. During that season's bowl game, the 2008 Rose Bowl, he suffered a wrist injury and was unable to participate in spring practices.
Going into his senior, 2008 season, he replaced All-American, top-10 NFL Draft selection Keith Rivers in a linebacking corp that included highly-touted NFL prospects Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga. He had a strong senior season, finishing the regular season with 62 tackles, 7½ for losses, three pass deflections and an interception while making all 12 starts. He won the team player of the game award against rival-Notre Dame, and had the highest number tackles in games were USC struggled against opposing teams' rushing attack. In the 2009 Rose Bowl Game, Maiava became the third straight linebacker from USC to have won the most valuable defensive player of the game, following 2009 bowl game teammates Cushing (2007) and Maualuga (2008).
Maiava was one of twelve USC players, including the four senior linebackers Brian Cushing, Maiava, Clay Matthews III, and Rey Maualuga, who attended the by-invitation-only 2009 NFL Scouting Combine (top rated NCAA Division 1 teams might send only one to three senior players to the Combine).
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