Wyoming senior defensive tackle Kurt Taufa’asau

Wyoming senior defensive tackle Kurt Taufa’asau talks about championships, which is the theme of WyoSport’s UW football section that comes out later this month.
98 Kurt Taufa'asau

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Pago Pago, American Samoa
High School:
Samoana
Last College:
New Mexico Military
Height / Weight:
6-2 / 284
Position:
Defensive Tackle
Pronunciation:
tou-FOU-sou (Each syllable rhymes with the words Out or Ouch)

UW This Season: After a solid season in 2011, Kurt Taufa'asau enters fall 2012 as the projected starter at the right defensive tackle spot. He'll be counted on to provide toughness in the trenches and disrupt opposing offenses.

2011: Taufa'asau was one of just eight Cowboy defenders with a sack this year, and he was part of a defense that totaled 22 sacks on the season. He saw time in 12 games and started three. He had his best day versus San Diego State. Against the Aztecs, Taufa'asau had four tackles and one sack for six yards, helping Wyoming's defense to shut out SDSU in the fourth quarter to preserve the win. He had two or more tackles in six games, and on the season, tallied 2.5 tackles for loss to go with 27 tackles. He also recovered a fumble versus UNLV. He earned his first letter for the Pokes.

2010: Redshirted.

Junior College: Taufa'asau earned First Team All-Western States Football League (WSFL) as a defensive lineman in 2009. New Mexico Military posted a 7-4 record in `09 and earned an appearance in the inaugural Central Bank Salt City Bowl where they lost 22-14 to Hutchinson Community College of Kansas. In the bowl game, Taufa'asau was credited with four tackles. New Mexico Military concluded the 2009 season ranked No. 20 in the final NJCAA National Poll. The New Mexico Military defense ranked No. 42 in the nation in total defense, allowing opponents 362 yards of total offense per game, and No. 20 in pass defense, giving up only 153.3 passing yards per game. He played for head coach Jeff Lynn at New Mexico Military. Taufa'asau played his high school football at Samoana High School in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Personal: Born Sept. 18, 1990, he is the son of Tuilua'ai and Vincent Taufa'asau. He was also recruited by Troy University, Utah State and Western Kentucky. He is majoring in sociology.