Marlon Tuipulotu (born May 31, 1999) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC.

Marlon Tuipulotu
No. 92 – Kansas City Chiefs
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1999-05-31) May 31, 1999 (age 25)
Independence, Oregon, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:307 lb (139 kg)
Career information
High school:Central
(Independence, Oregon)
College:USC (2017–2020)
NFL draft:2021 / round: 6 / pick: 189
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 2, 2024
Total tackles:43
Sacks:3.0
Fumble recoveries:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Tuipulotu attended Central High School in Independence, Oregon. As a senior in 2016, he had 62 tackles and six sacks. Tuipulotu played in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[1] He originally committed to the University of Washington to play college football but switched his commitment to the University of Southern California (USC).[2] Tuipulotu was also on the wrestling team in high school and won the 5A State Championship at 285lb in 2016.[3][4]

He is of Tongan descent.[5]

College career

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Tuipulotu played in three games his first year at USC in 2017 due to injuries and took a redshirt. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, he started 10 of 12 games and recorded 33 tackles and 4.5 sacks. In 2019, he had 46 tackles and two sacks in 12 starts.[6] Tuipulotu returned as a starter in 2020.[7][8]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+78 in
(1.88 m)
307 lb
(139 kg)
33 in
(0.84 m)
10+38 in
(0.26 m)
5.38 s 1.79 s 3.00 s 4.65 s 7.65 s 30.5 in
(0.77 m)
8 ft 7 in
(2.62 m)
29 reps
All values from Pro Day[9][10]

Tuipulotu was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round, 189th overall, of the 2021 NFL draft.[11]

In Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season, Tuipulotu recorded the first sack of his career, tackling Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett in a 13–35 win.[12]

In Week 10 of the 2022 season, Tuipulotu recorded the first fumble recovery of his career in a game against the Washington Commanders.[13]

He was placed on injured reserve on November 16, 2022 after suffering a torn meniscus.[14][15] Without Tuipulotu, the Eagles reached Super Bowl LVII but lost 38–35 to the Kansas City Chiefs.[16] On August 29, 2024, Tuipulotu was released by the Eagles.[17]

Kansas City Chiefs

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On August 31, 2024, Tuipulotu was signed to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, then promoted to the active roster a week later.[18]

Personal life

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Tuipulotu's younger brother, Tuli Tuipulotu, also played linebacker at USC and currently plays in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Chargers. He is also the cousin of former USC and current San Francisco 49ers defensive back Talanoa Hufanga.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Washington commit Marlon Tuipulotu receives Army All-American jersey". USA TODAY High School Sports. October 10, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Jude, Adam (January 23, 2017). "Huskies lose 5-star recruit Marlon Tuipulotu to USC | The Seattle Times". Seattle Times. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  3. ^ Eggen, Lukas (January 20, 2016). "CENTRAL WRESTLING: Tuipulotu finds success on the mat". Polk County Itemizer-Observer. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Nemec, Andrew (January 24, 2017). "Marlon Tuipulotu, Washington Huskies 5-star DT commit, flips to USC Trojans". OregonLive. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  5. ^ Knudsen, Dirk (September 4, 2015). "Central High Is Home To 2017 Phenom Marlon Tuipulotu". Northwest Prep Report. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  6. ^ Grosbard, Adam (October 10, 2019). "USC DT Marlon Tuipulotu providing steady run defense for Trojans". Orange County Register. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  7. ^ Grosbard, Adam (November 22, 2020). "USC DT Marlon Tuipulotu continues monster season in first half against Utah". Orange County Register. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  8. ^ Greenspan, Dan (December 15, 2020). "Family ties lead USC's defense into Pac-12 title game". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  9. ^ "Marlon Tuipulotu Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  10. ^ "Marlon Tuipulotu, Southern California, DT, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  11. ^ McPherson, Chris (May 1, 2021). "Eagles draft DT Marlon Tuipulotu". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles - October 30th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  13. ^ "Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles - November 14th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  14. ^ Bowman, Paul (November 16, 2022). "Eagles Add Two To IR Amid Flurry Of Moves". SportsTalkPhilly.com. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  15. ^ Tolentino, Josh; McLane, Jeff (November 20, 2022). "Sources: Eagles DT Marlon Tuipulotu suffered a torn meniscus, could miss the rest of the regular season". Inquirer.com. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  16. ^ "Super Bowl LVII – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 12th, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  17. ^ "Roster Moves: Eagles claim Byron Young, release Marlon Tuipulotu". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 29, 2024.
  18. ^ "The Chiefs made 6 roster moves on Friday". Arrowhead Pride. August 31, 2024.
  19. ^ 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.
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