Tuli Tuipulotu
| No. 45 – Los Angeles Chargers | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | September 3, 2002 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 | |||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||||
Tuli Tuipulotu (born September 3, 2002) is an
Early years
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
| 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 | ||||||||||||
Tuipulotu was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round, 54th overall, of the 2023 NFL draft.[10]
Personal life
Tuipulotu's older brother, Marlon Tuipulotu, also played defensive tackle at USC and currently plays in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles.[11] He is also a cousin of former USC and current San Francisco 49ers defensive back Talanoa Hufanga.[12]
References
- ^ Grosbard, Adam (December 18, 2019). "Lawndale defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu signs with USC". The Orange County Register. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Young, Ryan (December 20, 2019). "Scouting Report: A closer look at USC DE signee Tuli Tuipulotu". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ "USC DL Tuli Tuipulotu named 2022 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year". 247Sports.
- 247Sports.com. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ Kartje, Ryan (April 8, 2021). "USC is looking for hunters on their revamped defensive line". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- 247Sports.com. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ Wadleigh, Matt (December 8, 2021). "Tuli Tuipulotu earns First-Team All-Pac-12 selection". Trojans Wire. USA Today. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "Tuli Tuipulotu Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Tuli Tuipulotu College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Eric (April 28, 2023). "Chargers Draft Tuli Tuipulotu with 54th Overall Pick". Chargers.com. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ Kartje, Ryan (January 1, 2021). "USC defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu declares for NFL draft". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ 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.