Tuli Tuipulotu

American football player (born 2002)

American football player
Tuli Tuipulotu
No. 45 – Los Angeles Chargers
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (2002-09-03) September 3, 2002 (age 22)
Hawthorne, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:266 lb (121 kg)
Career information
High school:Lawndale (Lawndale, California)
College:USC (2020–2022)
NFL draft:2023 / round: 2 / pick: 54
Career history
  • Los Angeles Chargers (2023–present)
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 2, 2024
Total tackles:54
Sacks:4.5
Forced fumbles:2
Fumble recoveries:1
Pass deflections:1
Player stats at PFR

Tuli Tuipulotu (born September 3, 2002) is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He was named the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American in 2022. He played college football for the USC Trojans.

Early life

Tuipulotu grew up in Hawthorne, California and attended Lawndale High School. He was rated a three-star recruit and committed to play college football at USC over offers from California, Utah, Washington, and Stanford.[1][2] He is of Tongan descent.[3]

College career

As a freshman, Tuipulotu played in all six games with three starts in USC's COVID-19 shortened 2020 season and had 22 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss of and two sacks.[4][5] He was named first-team All-Pac-12 Conference after recording 48 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and a team 5.5 sacks.[6][7] Tuipulotu was named a team captain entering his junior season. He finished the season with an FBS-leading 13.5 sacks, and was named a finalist for the Bednarik, Nagurski, and Hendricks awards.

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span
6 ft 3 in
(1.91 m) 		266 lb
(121 kg) 		32+1⁄4 in
(0.82 m) 		10+1⁄8 in
(0.26 m)
All values are from the NFL Combine.[8][9]

Tuipulotu was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round, 54th overall, of the 2023 NFL draft.[10] He was named to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team.[11]

Personal life

Tuipulotu's older brother, Marlon Tuipulotu, also played defensive tackle at USC and currently plays in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs.[12] He is also a cousin of former USC and current San Francisco 49ers defensive back Talanoa Hufanga.[13]

References

  1. ^ Grosbard, Adam (December 18, 2019). "Lawndale defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu signs with USC". The Orange County Register. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  2. ^ Young, Ryan (December 20, 2019). "Scouting Report: A closer look at USC DE signee Tuli Tuipulotu". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  3. ^ Huffman, Brandon (December 13, 2022). "USC DL Tuli Tuipulotu named 2022 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year". 247Sports. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  4. ^ Trevino, Chris (July 5, 2022). "USC's Tuli Tuipulotu among Pro Football Focus' top DTs for the 2023 NFL Draft". 247Sports.com. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  5. ^ Kartje, Ryan (April 8, 2021). "USC is looking for hunters on their revamped defensive line". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  6. ^ Stephenson, Duncan (August 12, 2022). "Tuli Tuipulotu is working hard to develop under Shaun Nua". 247Sports.com. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  7. ^ Wadleigh, Matt (December 8, 2021). "Tuli Tuipulotu earns First-Team All-Pac-12 selection". Trojans Wire. USA Today. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  8. ^ "Tuli Tuipulotu Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Tuli Tuipulotu College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  10. ^ Smith, Eric (April 28, 2023). "Chargers Draft Tuli Tuipulotu with 54th Overall Pick". Chargers.com. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  11. ^ "2023 NFL All-Rookie Team". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Kartje, Ryan (January 1, 2021). "USC defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu declares for NFL draft". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  13. ^ Greenspan, Dan (December 15, 2020). "Family ties lead USC's defense into Pac-12 title game". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  • Tuli Tuipulotu on Twitter
  • Career statistics and player information from ESPN · Yahoo! Sports
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  • USC Trojans bio
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