2016 Football Roster
Sep 20 (Sat)
8:15 p.m.
Josh Tupou
- Position:
- Defensive Tackle
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 325
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Buena Park, Calif.
- High School:
- Buena Park
AT COLORADO: 2016 (Sr.-RS)—He started all 14 games including the Alamo Bowl at nose tackle, garnering honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors from the league coaches as he was a key component on a defense that ranked second in the Pac-12. He played in the 2017 East-West Shrine Game. He was the co-recipient of CU's Defensive Trench Award, which the coaches present to the most outstanding defensive player(s) in the front seven. He played 520 snaps at nose tackle and recorded 49 tackles, 1½ quarterback sacks and had seven tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage when including three stops for zero gains. He also was credited with 10 quarterback pressures and caused one interception. He had a season-high seven tackles in the win at Oregon to begin Pac-12 play. He was in on a half-sack at No. 4 Michigan when he was credited with four tackles and a third down stop as well as quarterback hurry. He posted six tackles at USC and had five tackles in a win at Stanford when he was also credited with a half-sack. In the bowl game against Oklahoma State, he had two assisted tackles. Suspended for the 2015-16 academic year, he returned to the team in May as he did everything required and then some to earn his reinstatement, and to stay in shape, he played the lock position for an area rugby team. Phil Steele’s College Football selected him as a third-team preseason All-Pac-12 performer (fourth-team by Athlon Sports).
2015 (Sr.)—Redshirted; it essentially served as a redshirt year for him after he was suspended from the program for violating team rules. He did not participate in spring practices.
2014 (Jr.)—In starting all 12 games, he earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors from the league coaches, and was a second-team All-Colorado performer as selected by the state’s chapter of the National Football Foundation. He played 642 snaps from scrimmage, the second-most by a CU down lineman in six seasons, as he was in on 42 tackles (26 solo, with four for losses including three quarterback sacks). He had 10 stops at or behind the line of scrimmage when including six tackles that went for no gain. He also had three third down stops, five quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery (the latter against Colorado State). He had a season-high six tackles on three occasions: versus UCLA, Washington and at Arizona (he had two of his sacks against the Wildcats). The coaches presented him with the Defensive Trench Award for his play on the defensive line and ability to shut down the opponent run game. He was one of 34 players on the initial watch list for the Polynesian Player of the Year. The coaches had selected him as the recipient of the Dick Anderson Award for the spring, presented to a player with outstanding toughness. A little heavier than his playing weight as a sophomore, his added pounds were gained from working out in the weight room. When the seniors were charged with drafting the teams for the annual spring game, he was the No. 1 selection overall by the Black team’s captain, Kaiwi Crabb.
2013 (Soph.)—He started all 12 games at defensive tackle, playing 598 snaps from scrimmage. He was in on 38 tackles for the year (three for losses, including a half-quarterback sack), along with three third down stops, three quarterback hurries, a caused interception, a pass broken up and a quarterback chasedown (near sack). He had a career/season-high nine tackles in the finale at Utah, where he was credited with his half-sack; he had four tackles in three other games. He also played an additional 17 snaps on the field goal/PAT unit on special teams. He dropped 25 pounds from his frame (to around 310) between January and the start of August drills.
2012 (Fr.)—He earned honorable mention Freshman All-American honors from collegefootballnews.com. He played in 10 games, including seven starts; he missed the Oregon and Stanford games due to a severely sprain ankle, which he suffered in practice on September 11 but he kept playing on and reinjuring over the course of the six-week period until he finally was held out of action. On the year, he recorded 37 tackles, 20 of the solo variety, in 343 snaps from scrimmage, the most snaps played by a true freshman defensive lineman at Colorado dating back to at least 1984. He was in on five tackles for losses, including a quarterback sack as well as a tackle for zero, to go with a quarterback pressure. He had a season-high eight tackles (two solo) against Washington, when he also played a season most 57 plays; he had six tackles (three unassisted) against Fresno State and five against both Arizona State and Sacramento State.
HIGH SCHOOL—As a senior, his first time playing on defense, SuperPrep ranked him as the No. 88 overall player in the Far West Region and the No. 82 player from California (the No. 5 defensive tackle); Scout.com ranked him as the No. 70 defensive tackle in the country. He was named the Freeway League Defensive Player of the Year, earning first-team All-Freeway League honors, along with first-team All-CIF Southern Section and second-team All-Orange County accolades. As a senior playing defensive tackle, he was in on 78 tackles (36 solo), with five sacks and four forced fumbles; he played guard on offense and did not allow a quarterback sack and also was on the field goal/PAT unit on special teams. He transferred to Buena Park from Orange High School after his junior year; at Orange, he was a first-team All-Golden West League selection at offensive guard as a junior. He claimed he did not have a top or most memorable game in high school because he played at the same speed all the time. Under coach Anthony White, Buena Park was 8-3 his senior year, and under coach Dan Stroup, Orange was 2-8 his junior year. He also lettered in track, throwing the shot put.
ACADEMICS—He is majoring in Communication at Colorado (in position to graduate in May 2017).
PERSONAL—He was born May 2, 1994 in Long Beach, Calif. His hobbies include spending time with his family and playing basketball; he also has a keen sense of humor (he informed the SID staff that he is half-mermaid, with X-ray vision, and he can communicate with lions). He has three cousins playing college football, including two in the Pac-12: Walton Taumoepeau (senior defensive lineman at New Mexico State), Mo Latu (redshirt freshman offensive lineman at Arizona State) and Siosifa Tufunga (redshirt freshman offensive lineman at Washington). An uncle, Viliami Maumau, is former CU defensive tackle who played from 1994-97 for the Buffaloes and in the NFL with the Denver Broncos. (Last name is pronounced two-poe.)
