Junior Tafuna shares how his Polynesian family influence helped him become an award-winning defensive lineman on and off the football field

Power Players with Dan Clark

In this episode, Junior Tafuna shares how his Polynesian family influence helped him become an award-winning defensive lineman on and off the football field.

This episode is sponsored by Siegfried & Jensen. Thank you for supporting Talkin' Utes and Utah athletes!

About Junior Tafuna:

TAFUNA QUICK HITS2022 Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team.

• 2021 Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
• 2021 AP Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team
• 26 games played as a Ute, 24 consecutive starts.

2022: Started in 13 games, contributing 26 tackles (2.5 TFL), one interception and two QB hurries.

• Season-best six tackles in the Homecoming victory vs. Oregon State.
• Contributed five more stops in the game at No. 18 UCLA.
• First career interception highlighted a three-tackle day vs. Southern Utah.
• Logged his first pass breakup of the season at No. 12 Oregon.

2021: Saw action in 13 games on the season, starting at left tackle in the final 11 contests.

• Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
• Recorded 33 tackles (5.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks) along with a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
• Put up a career-high nine tackles (1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack) against Arizona.
• Had four tackles that included a 12-yard sack against No. 18 Arizona State.
• Recorded three tackles (1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks) against No. 3 Oregon in the regular season, earning Pac-12 Defensive Line Player of the Week.
• Logged four tackles in the second game of his career against San Diego State.
• First career fumble recovery came at Oregon State.
• Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll.

2020: Did not see action.

High School: Three-star recruit out of Bingham HS, rated the No. 7 recruit in the state of Utah.

• Second-team all-state as a senior in 2018.
• Invited to the 2019 Polynesian Bowl.
• 64 tackles (1.0 sack) and an interception as a senior in 2018.
• 74 tackles (1.0 sack) and an interception in 2017.
• Bingham HS won state championships in 2016 and 2017.

Personal: Son of Mau and Timote … has four siblings … served an LDS mission in Praia, Cape Verde … full name Timote (Junior) Maile Tafuna.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.