Mosi Tatupu, Punahou Great and Former NFL Star, Passes Away

Mosi Tatupu, who played for the New England Patriots from 1978-1990 and was a star performer on special teams, died Tuesday at the age of 54, according to the Honolulu Star Bulletin.

The cause of death was unknown, according to the report, which also indicated that Tatupu suffered from high blood pressure and other ailments.

"He was one of those fun guys in the locker room who also had fun on the field," said former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan, who was one of Tatupu's teammates in New England. "When he went to practice, he had a smile on his face all the time because he was having fun. He enjoyed playing football. He could have played in any era, for anybody at any time. It's a shame that he's gone at such an early age."

Tatupu played 13 seasons with the Patriots, starring as a special teams player (making the Pro Bowl in 1986) and as a jack-of-all trades running back. He was one of the most popular players of his era and even had his own cheering section at Schaefer/Sullivan Stadium called "Mosi's Mooses."

"I think football fans in this area appreciate a lunchpail attitude, someone who shows up for work every day and that's what Mosi did," Grogan said. "I think his personality, the spirit and fun he showed on the field, transferred to fans.

That's why they loved him so much."

He rushed for 2,415 yards over his career with the Patriots, scoring 18 touchdowns and averaging 3.9 yards per carry.

"He was not only a really good football player who could do a lot of different things for you, "Grogan said, "from special teams, to goal-line situations, coming out of backfield and catching the ball, blocking."

At the time of his death, Tatupu, a native of American Samoa and considered one of the greatest athletes in the history of Hawaii, was running backs coach at Curry College in Milton, Mass. Tatupu had also coached his son Lofa Tatupu -- now a linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks -- at King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham, Mass.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Punahou 74’s Man in the O-Men Hall of Fame: Mosiula Tatupu

 

 Without a doubt, the athlete in our class who received the most notice was Mosiula Tatupu, or “Mosi” as he is more familiarly known. In 1990, Mosi’s Punahou athletic achievements were recognized when he was named one of the 84 members of today’s Punahou’s O-Men Hall of Fame. The 1990 Punahou Bulletin Holiday edition included the citation for Mosi’s enshrinement on page 5. For your reading pleasure, it is reprinted here.

During his sixth grade, Mosi was a member of a pony league football team which included his close buddy, a student at Punahou. As a result of their friendship, Mosi persuaded his family to send him to Punahou the following year. This was a fortunate move for Punahou as Mosi became one of the greatest all-aroud athletes in Hawaii sports history.

In football, he was an All-State selection in his sophomore, junior and senior years. In his senior year he earned High School All American honors. He culminated his football career at Punahou by rushing for 182 yards in the Senior All Star game against the OIA’s best. His single season and three year high school career rushing records established in 1973, stood for 17 years until November 1990.

An outstanding basketball player, he won All-State honors and led his team to a State Championship in his senior year. In baseball, he was a power hitting outfielder and again a member of a State Championship team. During his Punahou career he won nine letters and was awarded numberous ILH and State All Star and MVP awards in all three sports.

Going on to the University of Southern California , he played four years for the Trojan football team. Former coach John McKay called Mosi the “best blocking back in USC history” and compared tackling Mosi to “tackling a Coke machine.” Mosi started several years as fullback and was a member of two Pac-10 championship squads plus a national championship team. He played also in several annual bowl games.

Mosi is starting his 12th year with the New England Patriots. He has been captain of the special teams for many years and made All Pro as a special teams player. Very active in civic events in his New England area, Mosi has won the affection of his community, his football fans and his fellow players. Mosi, welcome to the Hall of Fame!

Full Article

Pio Sagapolutele, 39, Moves On

Pio Sagapolutele, who played an unsung role along the defensive line for the New England Patriots' 1996 American Football Conference championship team, died Sunday evening in Chandler, Ariz. He was 39.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Mr. Sagapolutele, who began his professional football career with the Cleveland Browns, had suffered an aneurysm on Friday.

At 6-foot-6 and 297 pounds, Mr. Sagapolutele was one of the Patriots' more physically imposing players in 1996, as the team's head coach Bill Parcells preferred big, sturdy players along the defensive line.

After signing with the team as an unrestricted free agent, Mr. Sagapolutele started 10 of 15 regular-season games and all three playoff games, including a 35-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI.

Mr. Sagapolutele, a native of American Samoa who grew up in Hawaii and played in college at San Diego State, entered the National Football League in 1991 as a fourth-round draft choice of the Browns. His versatility to play both the end and tackle position appealed to Bill Belichick, the Browns' coach at the time.

When Belichick was hired as a defensive assistant with the Patriots in 1996, Mr. Sagapolutele was part of his unit, totaling 28 tackles and three quarterback sacks.

"When we drafted him as part of our first class in Cleveland, we saw a tough, hard-working, dependable player and that is exactly what Pio brought to his teams on a daily and yearly basis," said Belichick, who is now in his 10th season as Patriots head coach. "He was a quiet leader and a significant contributor to the record-setting '94 Browns defense and then again with the Patriots' '96 AFC Championship season."

In a 2005 story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mr. Sagapolutele said: "My best memory was just being out there on the field for my first game. I was playing for the Browns and I remember sitting on the field stretching in the pre-game, thinking about growing up in Kalihi . . . and how far I had come."

Mr. Sagapolutele finished his career with the New Orleans Saints in 1997.

He had recently moved his family to Arizona. He leaves his wife, Yvonne, and four children.

Full Article