A 16-year-old Washington high school football player from a prominent NFL family was killed by an alleged drunk driver near the field where he had played just hours earlier.
Deejay Tuiasosopo was in his first season with the Federal Way High School football team and dreamed of winning a state championship. He hoped to become the latest successful athlete in his family before his life was cut short Friday, KOMO reported.
Tuiasosopo was standing on a sidewalk late Friday night near the location where he had played earlier when a car struck him after crashing into another vehicle at an intersection.
Tuiasosopo was pronounced dead at the scene. A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide for allegedly driving under the influence. Police have not released additional information about the suspect or said whether the other driver was injured.
The 220-pound running back and linebacker was expected to graduate in 2028. Teammate and friend David Rodriguez said Tuiasosopo was someone who “had dreams.”
“The fact he can’t do that, that’s just, it just feels sad,” Rodriguez said.
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Tuiasosopo came from a family with a deep sports legacy. His grandfather’s brother, Manu Tuiasosopo, 69, was selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He later joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1984 and won Super Bowl XIX the following January.
Manu’s son, Marques Tuiasosopo, 47, earned Rose Bowl MVP honors in 2001 and played eight NFL seasons as a quarterback with the Raiders and Jets.
Manu and his wife, Lisa, raised four other children. Their son Zach, born three years after Marques, spent time on the practice squads of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, Catholic Online reported.
He did not appear in an NFL game, the outlet reported.
Their daughter Leslie is the head coach of the University of Washington women’s volleyball team, while Matt Tuiasosopo previously played as an MLB utility player.
Two of Tuiasosopo’s uncles, who were not identified, told KOMO they were left numb by the tragedy at the intersection.
A vigil was held Saturday near the site of the crash, where mourners placed flowers and balloons. Some included the numbers five and six as a tribute to Tuiasosopo’s No. 56 jersey.
