Ropati Pitoitua
 Pitoitua in the 2012 NFL season. | |||||||||||
No. 92 Tennessee Titans | |||||||||||
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| Defensive end | |||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
| Date of birth: April 6, 1985 | |||||||||||
| Place of birth: Samoa | |||||||||||
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Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: Lakewood (WA) Clover Park | |||||||||||
| College: Washington State | |||||||||||
| Undrafted in 2008 | |||||||||||
| Debuted in 2009 for the New York Jets | |||||||||||
Career history
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| Roster status: Active | |||||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of Week 6, 2013 | |||||||||||
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Ropati Pitoitua [roe-POT-ti pito-IT-tuah] (born April 6, 1985) is an American football defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Washington State.
Pitoitua has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Early years
Pitoitua was born in Samoa to Sooalo Ropati and Faipine Pitoitua. He has 1 brother and 4 sisters.[1] Played football and basketball at Clover Park High School in Lakewood, Washington, although did not pick up football until junior season but he earned two football letters as well as Seamount League Defensive Player of the Year in 2002.
College career
He played in 36 games (25 starts), posting 116 tackles, (19 for losses) and 8.5 sacks in four seasons at Washington State and was named WSU's Leon Bender Award winner as Cougars' Defensive Lineman of the Year as senior when he started 11 games at defensive tackle and one at defensive end.
As a freshman in 2004 he played in 8 games with 4 starts and was named The Sporting News All-Pacific-10 freshman team after recording 24 tackles (5.5 for losses) and 5 sacks. In 2005 he played in 7 games with no starts after suffering a broken leg in fall camp and missed the first five games of the season, in limited duty he recorded 13 tackles (1 for a loss) and 1 sack. As a junior in 2006 he played in 9 games starting all 9 and recording 37 tackles (7.5 for losses) and 2.5 sacks. As a senior in 2007 he played in 12 games, starting all of them and made 40 tackles, 7 for losses and went without a sack.
Professional career
New York Jets
He was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and spent the season on the team's practice squad.[2] In 2009, Pitoitua posted three tackles in eight games. During the preseason in 2010, Pitoitua tore his achilles' tendon against the Carolina Panthers[3] and was placed on the injured reserve list on August 23, 2010.[2] Pitoitua was waived by the team on May 2, 2012.[4]
Kansas City Chiefs
Pitoitua was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs on May 8, 2012.[5]
Tennessee Titans
Pitoitua signed with the Tennessee Titans on March 25, 2013. [6]
References
- ↑ "Ropati Pitoitua". Retrieved December 1, 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wilson, Aaron (August 23, 2010). "Jets place Ropati Pitoitua on injured reserve". National Football Post. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ↑ Kent, Andy (August 26, 2010). "Jets Lineman Ropati Pitoitua's Hard Luck Injury Chronicled On HBO". NFL FanHouse. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ↑ Mehta, Manish (2 May 2012). "Jets waive DL Ropati Pitoitua; Announce signings of PK Josh Brown and long snapper Derek Chard". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ↑ Kansas City Chiefs Public Relations (8 May 2012). "Chiefs sign free agent DE Ropati Pitoitua". Kansas City Chiefs. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
- ↑ "Pitoitua Signs With Tennessee". 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.