Medically Retired Laiatu Latu Says He's Playing Again — for UCLA

A neck injury forced the promising Husky edge rusher to give up the game last spring.

Nine months ago, then-University of Washington coach Jimmy Lake sat in front of a room full of media members and announced that edge rusher Laiatu Latu had retired from football because of a neck injury.

It was a somber beginning to Husky spring practice. It was a surprise to all of the gathered reporters who had been given no indication at all that Latu's health was in jeopardy.

Lake told how the UW had sought medical opinions from five different specialists nationwide, people who worked closely with NFL teams regarding this type of injury. He said the consensus among them was that Latu, who had undergone surgery, couldn't proceed with football.

"We exhausted every professional we could think of to make sure this was the proper decision," the former coach said.

On Friday, to everyone's great surprise, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Latu announced on social media that he would be playing again, only this time for UCLA, without explaining what has changed regarding his health. 

COMMITTED🐻 pic.twitter.com/UcLrMchtvi

— LAIATU (@laiatu_latu) December 31, 2021

It remains unclear what sort of liability UCLA is willing to accept in order to permit the outside linebacker from Sacramento to compete when others said he couldn't.

"To Husky Nation, thank you for welcoming me and my family with open arms," Latu tweeted out. "You guys made my experience at UW an unforgettable one and I deeply appreciate you all. With that said, I will be playing at the (sic) UCLA. Go Bruins!"

After medically retiring, Latu couldn't have played for the Huskies again, according to a school spokesman. 

After appearing in 12 of 13 games in reserve as a UW true freshman in 2019, Latu was injured in fall practice leading up to the following season. He didn't play in the pandemic-shortened four-game schedule. 

Lake previously wouldn't discuss the situation surrounding the sophomore defender's absence, even whether or not he was injured, until making the stark April disclosure. 

Yet the coach made it clear the decision was final and Latu would continue with his education that would be covered by the school. Latu also would attend practices and assist with the team in some manner. 

"We would never want to put anyone in danger of using their extremities the rest of their life," Lake said. "It's in the safety of our players first and foremost."

UCLA, which now employs former UW outside linebacker coach Ikaika Malloe on Chip Kelly's staff, apparently feels different about the severity of Latu's injury and that he's capable of playing again.

The school, however, can't comment on someone who hasn't enrolled in school and officially become part of the Bruins program yet, if at all because it's a medical issue.

Latu was pegged to be a Husky starter in 2020 until he went down and was replaced by Zion Tupuola-Fetui, who was sensational in three of the four games he played while stepping in for him and earning All-Pac-12 accolades.

Program insiders still maintain that Latu was a much better player than Tupuola-Fetui before his injury.

In the spring and fall camps, Latu and a now injured Tupuola-Fetui, who was dealing with a torn Achilles tendon, hung out together as sideline spectators and often tossed a football.

Latu, if he can pull this off, will go three years between playing games on the college level. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining because of pandemic allowances. 

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