In Seattle football, the Tuiasosopo family is well-known.
Manu Tuiasosopo, a father of five, was drafted with the seventh-overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft by the Seahawks.
A month before the draft, Tuiasosopo’s second child, a son named Marques, was born.
Two years later, another future Husky — Zach Tuiasosopo — was born.
Now a redshirt junior, the middle of three boys and five total siblings, Zach Tuiasosopo has started six of eight games at fullback for the Huskies.
He missed the season opener against defending national champion Ohio State when he was suspended by head coach Keith Gilbertson for one game. His suspension stemmed from a May 2003 incident where Tuiasosopo was accused of malicious mischief for bashing in the windows of four cars while drunk.
He entered an Alford plea — pleading to lesser charges while maintaining his innocence — in October to a misdemeanor.
“There’s a maturity to him now,” older brother Marques Tuiasosopo told The Seattle Times in October. “You can just tell that he’s being very serious about school and football and getting things done the right way. I think he’s definitely learned his lesson.”
Zach Tuiasosopo has returned to his teammates determined to succeed after the off-season troubles, and he has found some success. Fifteen carries for 52 yards and his first career touchdown have made his teammates happy to see him back on the field.
“It’s meant a whole lot having him back,” running back Rich Alexis told The Seattle Times. “He brings an attitude of toughness back there. He’s got some similarities to his brother, that type of leadership where you just get that vibe.”
During the 2002 season, Tuiasosopo started five of the 13 games he played in and rushed for 34 yards on 15 carries.
Marques Tuiasosopo, who starts his first game for Oakland on Saturday against Joey Harrington and the Lions, was a standout quarterback in his heyday at Washington. He was a standup guy off the field too, respected by teammates and fellow students.
“At no point was I embarrassed by (my brother),” Marques Tuiasosopo said. “Stuff like that happens in life. You have to learn from it.”
The family’s togetherness and proximity helped Zach Tuiasosopo get through his law troubles.
Matt Tuiasosopo, the family’s fourth child, is a senior quarterback at Woodinville High School in Woodinville, Wash., a suburb of Seattle where all three brothers excelled at football.
The youngest boy in the family, Matt Tuiasosopo is regarded as one of the top quarterback recruits on the West Coast. He has received offers from five Pacific-10 Conference schools: Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington State and the Washington.
Marques Tuiasosopo doesn’t think Zach Tuiasosopo’s incident will affect the latest recruit’s school choice, but told The Seattle Times he’d love for his youngest brother to attend Washington.
As for the middle Tuiasosopo, he is moving on from his run-in with the law, but not without learning a few life lessons along the way.
“Maturity was a big part of the whole thing,” Zach Tuiasosopo said. “It’s (changed my) lifestyle in general. You have to look at the big picture.”
Tuiasosopo’s coaches have noticed a change in him as well.
“He’s more focused now,” running backs coach Chuck Heater told the Seattle Times. “Football has always been important to him, but I think he brings it on a daily basis with a little more focus now.”