Taniela Tupou talks about commitment

Posted by Bob Condotta

When Taniela Tupou of Archbishop Murphy committed to UW on Thursday, he became the seventh member of a rapidly filling Class of 2011.

But he also became the first currently playing in the state of Washington, and Tupou acknowledged that was something on his mind.

"I knew I would be the first local guy to commit to them,'' he said Friday in talking with the Times about his commitment. "I felt that it was a great place and I felt that the coaches were going to take care of me and they know what they are doing. I just had the feeling to do it.''

UW has never had seven commitments this early (or at least not for as long as there are recorded dates of when players made their commitments). Tupou committed on Thursday after attending UW's practice.

The 6-3, 270-pounder (his estimates of his height and weight) plays defensive end and tight end at Archbishop Murphy but projects as a defensive lineman at UW, having earned a four-star rating from Scout.com.

Tupou, who is Mormon, said he had offers from BYU and Washington State and had begun to get interest from other Pac-10 schools --- he had also recently taken unofficial visits to Oregon and Oregon State. But he said he had no qualms about making an early decision.

"I just thought it was the right moment to do it,'' he said. "I just always loved the UW and UW has always been in my heart. It just felt good.''

What he also wanted to do was stay close to home. He has a large extended family that includes cousins Niko and Mikey Tupou of Inglemoor. Niko is a sophomore and Mikey a freshman and both play football.

"I wanted to be able to stay close by and watch my cousins grow while they play football and hopefully open up the door for them to go to UW, too,'' he said.

Another family member is former UW standout OL Siupeli Malamala, who was a star on the 1991 national title team. Tupou's father and Malamala are cousins.

Tupou said he plans to take a mission for his church, likely after his first year at UW, which would be the 2011 season. He said he would likely be gone for two years and then return.

"As of right now, I plan to take two years off to go on my mission,'' he said. "I'll probably go (to UW) my freshman year than leave my sophomore year.''

With his college plans settled ---- he said there's a chance he would take a visit down the road but doesn't envision changing his mind --- he might not hit the camp circuit too hard this summer. However, he said he does plan to attend camps in Utah and BYU that are run by Polynesian coaches. Each, he said, has a strong emphasis on academics. Tupou said he has yet to take his SAT and the camps each include some prep work on taking such tests.

Tupou was recruited primarily by UW assistants Johnny Nansen and Jeff Mills.

Seattle Times All Area Football Team

John Kanongata'a

Bellevue, LB, 6-0, 210, Sr.

Considered the heart of the Wolverines' defense, Kanongata'a was named the KingCo 3A/2A Defensive Player of the Year. He makes up for lack of size with a motor that sends him flying all over the field.

Danny Shelton

Auburn, OL, 6-2, 320, Jr.

A blend of size and speed with a motor that never quits, Shelton is on the radar as one of the nation's best recruits for 2011. Voted the SPSL North's Lineman of the Year on both offense and defense as Trojans returned to the 4A state quarterfinals.

Taniela Tupou

Archbishop Murphy, DL, 6-3, 250, Jr.

It's crazy to think that this two-way All-Cascade Conference selection has another year remaining at the 2A school in South Everett. Tupou helped the Wildcats rush for more than 3,000 yards while allowing only 12.3 points per game.

Archbishop Murphy defensive linemen Tani Tupou and Julius Tevaga will show you respect while they bury you with their ferocity

When Tani Tupou and Julius Tevaga steamroll foes on the football field, they could gloat.

They could pound their chests. They could talk smack. They could do any number of disrespectful, look-at-me moves that are commonplace in the NFL.

But Tupou (pronounced Too-po) and Tevaga (pronounced Tay-vong-uh), powerful juniors on the Archbishop Murphy High School football team, have a different style.

“I love those guys. They’re just knocking kids around,” Archbishop Murphy senior Alex Martinez said. “Every time I see them, they’re putting somebody on the ground and then helping them back up.”

Refreshing, isn’t it? Instead of boasting about their superiority, Tupou, a 6-foot-2, 237-pound tight end/defensive end, and Tevaga, a 6-1, 255-pound lineman, play hard and show respect. Sure, they enjoy making a great hit. But they don’t rub it in.

“They’re some of the best people I’ve ever met. Class-act guys,” said Martinez, one of several Murphy running backs who rely on the blocking of Tupou and Tevaga.

Their strong line play is a big reason why Murphy (11-1) is back in the Class 2A state semifinals. For the second straight year, the Wildcats battle the Lynden Lions (11-1) in the round of four. Third-ranked Murphy (Tacoma News Tribune rankings) and No. 2 Lynden, whose only loss this season was to Murphy, play at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Tacoma Dome.

Tupou — who already has a football scholarship offer from the University of Washington and is being recruited by several other programs, including Brigham Young University — and Tevaga, who also hopes to play in college, played well in Murphy’s impressive season-opening 34-20 win over Lynden. A similar performance by them this weekend would seriously boost Murphy’s chances of beating Lynden again.

Coached by Curt Kramme, Lynden is “a great team. We’re excited to go back against them,” said Tupou. “They’re defending state champs and they’re back there again.”

Even though they are juniors, Tupou and Tevaga have a senior-like calming effect on their team.

“We’ve got Tani on one side and Julius on the other. They give us yards when we need it and they really bring a quiet intensity to the game that builds confidence in the other players around them,” Murphy coach Dave Ward said. “Their teammates really admire their ability, their intensity and their work ethic.”

“They’re good people, they’re fun to be around and they take their football seriously,” Ward added.

Tupou and Tevaga, who both live in Marysville, are also best friends. They met in third grade and immediately started playing football together, sharing lots of success and bonding experiences.

“We consider ourselves cousins,” said Tupou.

Tevaga, who moved to Marysville from Hawaii, is half Samoan; Tupou is half Tongan, half Hawaiian. Besides sharing a love for football, they are connected by faith (they attend the same Mormon church) and culture.

Both linemen know a variety of cultural dancing styles and enjoy performing in public. Before the season they danced at a luau fundraiser at the Murphy campus in south Everett. They earned raves — and probably gave their coaches ulcers — with their eye-opening fire dance.

Tupou and Tevaga, who both earned Cascade Conference All-League first team honors on offense and defense, get similar enjoyment from dancing and playing football.

“For me, it’s pride, in a way. This is who you are,” said Tupou. “When you’re on the field you’re representing your school. When you make a big hit or a big play, you go, ‘This is for my school.’ You’re also representing your family.”

Added Tevaga, “Just like back home (in Hawaii), who you are is who you represent.”

Family sustains Archbishop Murphy lineman Taniela Tupou

By Joshua Mayers

Special to The Seattle Times

Taniela Tupou has had a roller-coaster year.

The thrilling high for the Archbishop Murphy junior was his first Division I college football scholarship offer, from the University of Washington.

The gut-wrenching low was in May, when he had to resuscitate his grandfather, David Kekuaokalani, who collapsed at the dinner table, only to die a few days later.

This month, he buried his other grandfather, Fitu Tupou.

"For me, this year has been really emotional," said Tupou, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound lineman.

This weekend, Tupou leads the second-ranked Wildcats (11-1) of Everett into a Class 2A state semifinal game Saturday against No. 3 Lynden (11-1), which ended Archbishop Murphy's season last year.

Tupou, who goes by Tani (or Taani, the traditional spelling, which is on his letterman's jacket), won't have all the same familiar faces of some of his relatives cheering for him this weekend. But the 16-year-old has found another source of support: his teammates.

"This year, we have come together more as a family," said Tupou. "We look at each other as brothers."

And there's little doubt who the big brother is.

Tupou, who weighed 9 ½ pounds at birth, has never been overmatched physically. As early as the third grade, he had to play against older boys. Even now, he's getting looks at the next level. In addition to a UW offer, Tupou has received recruiting interest from BYU, Notre Dame and several Pac-10 schools as a defensive-line prospect.

"He's just naturally strong and he works hard in the weight room," Archbishop Murphy coach Dave Ward said.

Tupou, who isn't ready to select a college, does the fire-knife dance to represent his Polynesian culture and is only a couple badges from becoming an Eagle Scout. His involvement in both began as a child.

During spring football this year, he helped teach his team the haka, a traditional Polynesian dance.

And as a member of the LDS faith, he is involved in the church and is looking forward to taking a mission after high school.

"He has his hands dipped in so many things right now, and going on a mission is just another one of his goals," said Kawai Tupou, Taniela's mother. "He's just dealing with them one at a time."

The next step to another of those goals, a state championship, comes Saturday.