Fan Favorite Tatupu Dead at 54
By JONATHAN LLOYD
Updated 10:45 AM PDT, Thu, Feb 25, 2010
Former USC tailback Mosi Tatupu, a fan favorite known for his inspirational special teams play in the NFL, died Tuesday at a hospital in Massachusetts.
Tatupu was 54. The hospital could not disclose a cause of death, according to the Associated Press.
He played most of the 14 NFL seasons with the New England Patriots. He was a Ram when he retired from the NFL in 1991.
"As a teammate, he was one of the best," former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan told the LA Times. "He was one of those guys that made life fun whether it was in the locker room or on the practice fields. He had a smile that radiated."
Tatupu was part of the Trojans' 1974 national championship team. He rushed for 1,277 yards at USC before being selected in the eighth found of the 1978 draft.
Boston Herald writer Joe Fitzgerald called Tatupu "a very decent guy who just happened to be a wonderful football player, too."
Tatupu's son, Lofa, plays is a member of the Seattle Seahawks. A member of the Trojans' 2005-2006 teams, he earned All-American honors after transferring to USC from Maine.
The Vancouver Winter Games are here!
Check out NBCLA's full coverage, complete with athlete profiles, amazing photo galleries, and more! Fan us on Facebook, and follow us via Twitter @NBCLosAngeles
First Published: Feb 25, 2010 10:27 AM PDT
Don't Miss
prop_zero
5 hours ago
School Daze
With one slick move, students get more vacation and the state saves $1.3B.
Read It
breaking
3 hours ago
U.S. Troops Join Battle Against Militants in Baghdad
Days after the U.S. formally ended its combat mission in Iraq, American troops remaining in the country battled heavily armed militants assaulting the Iraqi military headquarters in the center of...
Read It
local_beat
WATCH
Sep 5, 2010
The Hot and Cold of the LA County Fair
KNBC reporter Ted Chen finds the hottest and coolest jobs at the LA County Fair.
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
