Lofa Tatupu Mosiula Mea ' alofa " Lofa " Tatupu ( born November 15 , 1982 ) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent . He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft . He played college football for USC . High school and college career . Tatupu was born in San Diego , California and graduated in 2001 from King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham , Massachusetts , where he played quarterback and linebacker in his senior year . His high school coach was his father Mosi Tatupu , a fullback and special teamer who played for the New England Patriots . As a quarterback , Lofa Tatupu threw for 800 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 450 yards and five touchdowns . As a linebacker , Tatupu made 100 tackles . " The Sun Chronicle " named Tatupu a local high school All - Star in 1999 and 2000 . Tatupu spent his freshman year of college at the University of Maine before transferring to the University of Southern California ( USC ) . At USC , Tatupu majored in sociology . He was an All - America n for the USC Trojans where he wore the number 58 , which was also worn by another USC linebacker of Samoan heritage , Rey Maualuga . Tatupu played for the USC Trojan football team ( 2005 - 2006 seasons ) within the player development program managed by Head Coach Pete Carroll and Assistant Head Coach for Defense and Linebacker Coach Ken Norton Jr . The USC linebacker system ( " USC Linebacker U " ) has developed many NFL stars , often touted as the most talented linebacker corps in college football . Tatupu started 25 games during his two years for the Trojans . He finished his USC career with 202 tackles , nine sacks , seven interception s , three fumble recoveries , three forced fumbles , 18 pass deflections , and one touchdown . Professional career . 2005 NFL Draft . Tatupu was selected 45th overall in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks . Some teams had him rated lower than the second round . Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell , who used two fourth - round picks to move up nine spots in the draft to get him , took some criticism for trading up for Tatupu , who was considered slightly undersized and a little slow . Upon joining the Seahawks Tatupu became a teammate of Matt Hasselbeck , whose father Don had been a teammate of Lofa ' s father Mosi during Mosi ' s career with the New England Patriots . Seattle Seahawks . Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005 , in which he was named to the Pro Bowl , while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles , with 104 , en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history . He also had four sacks and three interceptions , returning one for a touchdown in Seattle ' s 42 - 0 Monday Night Football victory against the Philadelphia Eagles . On December 2 , 2007 , he continued his success against the Philadelphia Eagles , intercepting three passes and returning them for a total of 110 yards off of Eagles ' Quarterback A . J . Feely . Interestingly , this meant that Feely had thrown for more yards to Tatupu than to any of his receivers . In Tatupu ' s first three seasons , he led the Seahawks in tackles . He was voted to the Pro Bowl for the first three years of his NFL career : 2005 , 2006 and 2007 . In 2007 , Tatupu was voted to the All - Pro team by the AP . In 2008 , Tatupu was hampered by nagging injuries which resulted in him playing at a lower level than he has in the past , and as a result cost him a chance to play in four consecutive Pro Bowls . Tatupu emerged as the Seahawks ' young and fiery leader on defense , making his teammates more attentive to preparation by watching more game tape and calling defensive signals on the field . On March 21 , 2008 the Seahawks signed Tatupu to a six - year contract extension through the year 2015 . The deal is worth $ 42 million , with $ 18 million guaranteed alone in the years 2008 to 2010 . The contract made Tatupu one of the six highest - paid linebackers in the league . Tatupu responded by stating , " I ' m going to end my career with the Seahawks . " On October 19 , 2009 , during a game versus the Arizona Cardinals , Tatupu tore his left pectoral muscle after a collision with teammate Deon Grant and was ruled out for the rest of the season , a huge loss to the already ailing Seahawks . This was the first major injury of Tatupu ' s professional career after missing only 1 game in his first 4 seasons in the NFL . After suffering through his worst season in 2009 , Tatupu was able to play in every game for the Seahawks in 2010 , including their two playoff games . Tatupu was released by Seattle on July 31 , 2011 , after he and the Seattle Seahawks could not come to an agreement on a re - structured contract . Atlanta Falcons . On March 10 , 2012 , Tatupu signed a two - year , $ 5 . 75 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons . On July 24 , 2012 , Tatupu suffered a torn pectoral and missed the entire 2012 NFL season . The Falcons released him the next day . Personal . Tatupu is of Samoan descent ; he is the son of the late former USC Trojan and New England Patriots fullback Mosi Tatupu . Lofa Tatupu was born in San Diego but raised in Plainville , Massachusetts .