Follow the Leader: Alphonzo Tuputala Makes It Clear the Husky Role He Desires

The redshirt freshman Washington linebacker didn't have a lot of high-level scholarship offers, but he's someone who knows who he is and where he's going.

Trailing 18-0 at halftime, Alphonzo Tuputala did something about it.

The middle linebacker, a University of Washington recruit at the time, gathered his Federal Way High School teammates around him.

He laid down the football law. 

"I gave them a challenge," he said. "I gave them a talk. I gave them a speech. That's what I do — I'm a leader. I said, 'You're either going to put your head down and lose or you're going to follow me into the trenches!' "

Everybody got on board with his emotional plea. In the end, Tuputala, who doubled as either a quarterback or fullback depending on the need, scored a game-winning touchdown as his suburban Seattle team pulled out an exhilarating 19-18 victory. 

Tuputala wasn't the Huskies' most heavily pursued player in recent seasons. He graded out as a 3-star recruit. One Power Five offer.

However, he's one of those guys who likely will make his profile look silly. He stands out in ways that aren't recorded next to the recruiting stars and scholarship connections.

This is the 56th profile of a returning Washington football player, each of which can be found on the site by scrolling back. While the pandemic has interrupted and delayed team activities, Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated offers continuous coverage of the team.

While injuries or developing frames held some of his fellow UW freshmen back last season, Tuputala got on the field four times as an inside linebacker, long enough to get a taste of the action yet preserve four more years of eligibility.

Unlike a lot of first-year players for the UW, he didn't need to inflate his body during this time of physical development.

Rather Tuputala trimmed his down, taking off 10 pounds to settle on a solid 6-foot-2, 231-pound frame.   

What didn't show up on his online description are two advantageous traits: he's got good genes and no one needs to point him in a leadership direction.

He's Danny Shelton's cousin, though you might ask who isn't? At least one other Husky teammate has made that claim.

Then there's that leadership thing. He wants people to follow him. It comes natural to him.

Tuputala enters the coming college football season, whenever it comes to fruition because of the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, seeking extended minutes at inside linebacker. 

While he's one of many promising young Husky linebackers, who's to question that Tuputala can't get it done?

"Zo is a physical guy and he got a little more in the later halves than the other guys," defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said. "He can bring it and be real physical with blockers and in making tackles."

Coming up through the high school ranks, Tuputala shared how he watched Shelton come into church all decked out in his UW gear, carrying his homework, comfortable in who he was.

Tuputala wanted to be like him, yet with his own personalized approach. 

He had a routine he still follows, saying a prayer at a goal post both before and after a game. It helps him be a leader.

While in high school, Tuputala also stepped up to help his Federal Way team through a tragedy. One of their teammates, Allen Harris, died from a heart condition during a summer conditioning workout. Everybody was there.

Alphonzo organized a team vigil to memorialize Harris. Once more he stood in front of his teammates and asked them to follow him.

"One of our friends, one of our brothers, to have it happen right in front of us, that's sad," he bravely told the gathering. "God has his reasons. We have full trust and faith. We're going to miss our brother. We're just trying to get through it together as a team."

If you see Tuputala leading the Husky defensive huddle someday soon, he'll explain how it happened, but it shouldn't be a surprise. 

That's what he does.

SUMMARY: Tuputala has four game appearances and two tackles. He didn't arrive with the recruiting attention that nearly everyone else did. But he fits in.

GRADE (1 to 5): The linebacker rates a 3. He's off to a good start. With his approach, people will trust him.

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