The game of football has lost one of its great ambassadors.
Mosi Tatupu, father of Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl linebacker Lofa Tatupu, died yesterday at a hospital in Attleboro, Massachusetts at the age of 54. The cause of death has not been released.
Playing most of his career for the New England Patriots, this fan favorite was integral in the Patriots run to the Super Bowl during the 1985-1986 season. He was also elected to the Pro Bowl for his outstanding play in 1986. He finished his professional career, playing a single season with the Los Angeles Rams in 91-92, after 13 seasons with the Pats.
Born in Pago Pago, American Samoa, Tatupu moved to Hawaii during his early education and became a standout running back for the famed Punahou School in Honolulu. Attracting the attention of many American universities, Mosi Tatupu chose to attend USC, where he served as a punishing running back, averaging 5.73 yards per carry and taking the role of special teams to another level. He was part of the USC 1974 National Championship team.
Tatupu enjoyed a similar role in the pros. An 8th round pick in the 1978 draft, Tatupu went on to become a special teams standout, while getting a fair share of carries from the fullback position as well. He quickly gained a loyal fan following, and a fan club known as Mosi’s Mooses. Mosi Tatupu went on to coach high school football in Massachusetts after retiring from the professional game at the end of the 1991-1992 season.
(Image via: Los Angeles Times)
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