Jay Tufele
{{Short description|American football player (born 1999)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Jay Tufele
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = New York Jets
| number = 97
| position = Defensive tackle
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|07|25}}
| birth_place = Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 305
| high_school = Bingham {{avoid wrap|(South Jordan, Utah)}}
| college = USC (2017–2020)
| draftyear = 2021
| draftround = 4
| draftpick = 106
| pastteams =
- Jacksonville Jaguars ({{NFL Year|2021}})
- Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|2022}}–{{NFL Year|2024}})
- New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2025}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- First-team All-Pac-12 (2019)
- Second-team All-Pac-12 (2018)
| statweek =
| statseason = 2024
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 44
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 0.5
| statlabel3 = Pass deflections
| statvalue3 =1
| statlabel4 = Interceptions
| statvalue4 =
| statlabel5 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue5 =
| statlabel6 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue6 =
| statlabel7 = Touchdowns
| statvalue7 =
| pfr = TufeJa00
}}
Jayleen Pea Tufele{{cite web |last1=Mellor |first1=Cam |title=Jay Tufele opts out, declares for 2021 NFL Draft |url=https://www.conquestchronicles.com/2020/8/19/21375796/usc-football-jay-tufele-opts-out-enters-2021-nfl-draft |website=SB Nation |access-date=May 3, 2021 |date=August 19, 2020}} (born July 25, 1999) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans.
Early life
Tufele attended Bingham High School in South Jordan, Utah. As a sophomore in 2014, Tufele started on the varsity team, making 63 tackles and six sacks, which earned him a spot on the MaxPreps Sophomore All-American first-team. As a junior, Tufele anchored a defense that tallied eight shutouts, making 57 tackles and 10.5 sacks on his way to being named the Salt Lake Tribune’s high school football MVP.{{cite web|last=Phibbs|first=Trevor|url=https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=3297189&itype=CMSID|title=Prep football: Bingham's Jay Tufele named 2015 Tribune MVP|website=Salt Lake Tribune|date=December 29, 2015|access-date=April 25, 2020}} Tufele did not play his senior year due to a torn ligament in his foot.
Tufele also played rugby in high school.
Tufele was a consensus top-40 recruit and received scholarship offers from over 20 schools, including Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Utah, and USC.{{cite web|last=|first=|url=https://247sports.com/Player/Jay-Tufele-77220/high-school-134643/|title=Jay Tufele Recruiting Profile|website=247Sports|date=|access-date=April 25, 2020}}{{cite web|last=|first=|url=https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2017/jay-tufele-2482|title=Jay Tufele|website=Rivals|date=|access-date=April 25, 2020}}
Tufele announced his commitment to USC on National Signing Day and enrolled in June.{{cite web|last=|first=|url=https://247sports.com/Player/Jay-Tufele-77220/TimelineEvents/|title=Uay Tufele Timeline Events|website=247 Sports|date=|access-date=April 25, 2020}}
{{College athlete recruit start|40=no|collapse=no|year=2017}}
{{College athlete recruit entry
| recruit = Jay Tufele
| position = DL
| hometown = South Jordan, Utah
| highschool = Bingham High School
| feet = 6
| inches = 3
| weight = 297
| 40 =
| commitdate = February 1, 2017
| 247 stars = 5
| rivals stars = 4
}}
{{College athlete recruit end
| 40 = no
| year = 2017
| rivals ref title = USC Football Commitment List (23)
| 247 ref title = USC 2017 Football Commits
| scouts =
| 247 overall = 3 (DL), 1 (UT)
| rivals overall = 4 (DL), 1 (UT)
| accessdate = April 25, 2020
}}
College career
Tufele redshirted the 2017 season. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Tufele appeared in 12 games, starting five times. He made 23 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. In a week eight game against Utah, Tufele returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown, making him a nominee for the 2018 Piesman Trophy, which is awarded for the most impressive play made by a lineman.{{cite web | last=Kirk | first=Jason | title=The Piesman Trophy: college football's greatest award | website=Banner Society | date=2019-08-14 | url=https://www.bannersociety.com/pages/piesman-trophy-winners | access-date=2024-07-21}} After the season, he was named to the All-Pac-12 second team, won USC’s Defensive Lineman of the Year award, and was a Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honorable mention.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2019, Tufele started all 13 games and made 41 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, which was the second-most on the team. After the season, Tufele was named to the All-Pac-12 first team, an honorable mention on Phil Steele’s All-American team, and repeated as the Defensive Lineman of the Year for USC.
=Statistics=
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 2 1/8
| weight = 305
| dash = 5.02
| ten split = 1.75
| twenty split = 2.94
| shuttle = 4.90
| cone drill = 7.81
| vertical = 30.0
| broad ft = 8
| broad in = 9
| bench = 30
| arm span = 32 1/2
| hand span = 9 3/8
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jay-tufele/32005455-4610-3822-e3e9-dc3d8ed22b4d |title=Jay Tufele Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=October 3, 2021}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1021731&DraftYear=2021 |title=Jay Tufele, Southern California, DT, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football |website=draftscout.com |access-date=October 3, 2021}}
}}
=Jacksonville Jaguars=
Tufele was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round, 106th overall, of the 2021 NFL draft.{{Cite web |last=Oehser |first=John |date=May 1, 2021 |title=No. 106 overall: Tufele is the selection |url=https://www.jaguars.com/news/no-106-overall-tufele-is-the-selection |access-date=May 29, 2023 |website=Jaguars.com}} On May 21, 2021, he signed his four-year rookie contract with Jacksonville.{{Cite web |last=Links |first=Zachary |date=May 21, 2021 |title=NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/21/21 |url=https://www.profootballrumors.com/2021/05/nfl-draft-pick-signings-52121#ref=home |access-date=May 29, 2023 |website=Pro Football Rumors}} He was placed on injured reserve on October 29, 2021.{{Cite web |date=October 29, 2021 |title=Roster Moves: OL KC McDermott signed, DT Jay Tufele placed on IR |url=https://www.jaguars.com/news/roster-moves-ol-kc-mcdermott-signed-dt-jay-tufele-placed-on-ir |access-date=May 29, 2023 |website=Jaguars.com}} He was activated on December 4.
On August 30, 2022, Tufele was waived by the Jaguars.{{Cite web |date=August 30, 2022 |title=Roster Moves: Jaguars waive 15 from the roster |url=https://www.jaguars.com/news/roster-moves-jaguars-waive-15-from-the-roster |access-date=May 29, 2023 |website=Jaguars.com}}
=Cincinnati Bengals=
On August 31, 2022, Tufele was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.{{Cite web |date=August 31, 2022 |title=Bengals Roster Moves: Practice Squad Announced |url=https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-roster-moves-practice-squad-2022-season-brandon-allen |access-date=May 29, 2023 |website=Bengals.com}} He was listed as the third nose tackle on the depth chart, behind D. J. Reader and Josh Tupou for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
=New York Jets=
Personal life
Tufele is of Polynesian descent. His father Line also played football. Tufele has two sisters and two younger brothers.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.newyorkjets.com/team/players-roster/jay-tufele/ New York Jets bio]
- [https://usctrojans.com/sports/football/roster/jay-tufele/10518 USC Trojans bio]
- {{twitter|tufele123}}
{{New York Jets roster navbox}}
{{Jaguars2021DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tufele, Jay}}
Category:Players of American football from Salt Lake City
Category:American football defensive linemen
Category:USC Trojans football players
Category:Jacksonville Jaguars players
Category:Cincinnati Bengals players
Category:Pacific Islander American players of American football