Soliai, of Samoan descent, attended Rancho Alamitos High School in Garden Grove, California, before moving to American Samoa for his senior year, where he attended Nu'uuli Technical High School in Pago Pago and was the team captain.

He made four stops against rival Utah State, including an assisted tackle for a loss.

In April 2007, Soliai measured a height of 6-feet-4 and a weight of 332 pounds at his Utah Pro Day.

Prior to the draft, Soliai was praised for his rare size, strength, quickness and athleticism, while also being criticized for his lack of technique and moves.

[2][3] Soliai was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2007 NFL draft, signing a four-year contract on June 7.

On January 24, 2012, Soliai was added to the AFC Pro Bowl Roster to replace Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata.

This penalty set up kicker Matt Prater for a game-winning 47 yard field goal, which he made, handing the Falcons a 22–21 loss and dropping them to a 2–5 record.