Letuligasenoa Ready to Assume Overdue Role as UW D-Line Intimidator

Tuli Letuligasenoa plops down in a seat to address a room full of media members. With his dark scraggly beard and the glint in his eye, the University of Washington defensive tackle looks fairly intimidating.

Jimmy Lake reaffirms that. The Husky coach has said the 6-foot-2, 300-pound sophomore from Concord, California, was the one guy on his team he had to rein in a year ago once football practice resumed for the late start to the pandemic season.

Letuligasenoa tried to take everyone's head off in practice.

Worse yet, the down lineman wasn't available to channel all of that football aggression over to the opponents once the games began because he was either injured or held out, a situation not fully explained.

Promoted as the next D-line disruptor following the highly decorated Danny Shelton, Vita Vea and Greg Gaines, the burly Letuligasenoa missed games against Oregon State and Arizona, appeared on just a handful of plays against Utah and finally started and looked rusty against Stanford. 

"It was a new experience for me to play a backseat role," he said on Tuesday, looking out at a dozen or so inquisitors in a UW meeting room. 

Throughout spring practice, Letuligasenoa reclaimed his starting role and reasserted his presence as a team leader, doing everything to protect his UW defense. He continually barked at running back Jay'Veon Sunday for showboating and blindsided and leveled center Corey Luciano for tangling with Jordan Lolohea, one of his fellow defenders.

Quite possibly Letuligasenoa is the difference in this Husky team being good and great this fall. 

He's the defensive heartbeat, a front-row temper tantrum always waiting to happen, the guy who potentially could make this group difficult to run against. 

Some have called this UW outfit a top-5 defense nationally, but, unlike 2020, it will need to stop the run to reach those heights. 

Letuligasenoa doesn't shy from this responsibility. He welcomes it. So what's a few choice words to get your opponents know you're there and a healthy shove or two if you can get away with it. 

"You get in that competitive sprint and you don't want to lose," he said. "I just make sure I keep my cool."

Letuligasenoa is ready to accept the mantle as team enforcer, as the leading angry man, as the tone-setter. 

He'll lineup next to Taki Taimani, his fellow sophomore who seemed a little lost in 2020 without him.

"I do think it's time for us to make our legacy," Taimani said. 

After appearing in 16 games over three previous seasons, Letuligasenoa is ready to step in and fully establish himself. Usually no one can do what he does, which is get the full attention of opponents as a potential game-long problem and unnerve them.

Except he's noticed there are Letuligasenoa clones in the room now. Young guys, true freshmen, who play the same way he does, which is mean and nasty.

Kuao Peihopa and Voi Tunuufi. 

Both entered school early and took part in spring practice. 

Peihopa has had multiple practice dust-ups, enough to make his older teammate proud.

"They're way ahead of where I was as a freshman," Letuligaseno said proudly, as if he were speaking about his sons. "They're going to be really good."

Good and intimidating, of course.