 Iupati with theSeattle Seahawks in 2020 | |||||||
| Washington State Cougars | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive Line Coach | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | (1987-05-12)May 12, 1987 (age 37) Vaitogi, American Samoa | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 331 lb (150 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Western(Anaheim, California) | ||||||
| College: | Idaho (2006–2009) | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 2010: 1st round, 17th pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
As a player: | |||||||
As a coach: | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Michael Iupati (/(ˌiː)juːˈpɑːti/(EE-)yoo-PAH-tee; born May 12, 1987) is a Samoan-American former professionalfootball player who was aguard for 11 seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). A native ofAmerican Samoa, Iupati went to high school in southernCalifornia, playedcollege football for theIdaho Vandals, and earned consensusAll-American honors. Iupati was selected by theSan Francisco 49ers in the first round of the2010 NFL draft. He played five seasons with the 49ers, four with theArizona Cardinals, and two with theSeattle Seahawks.
Born and raised inVaitogi,American Samoa, Iupati's family moved toGarden Grove, California, after he finishedjunior high school.[1][2] He is the son of Aposetolo, a former mechanic atLos Angeles International Airport, and Belinda Iupati.
He attendedWestern High School inAnaheim, where he began playing football under the guidance of Odell Harrington, the school's half-Samoan football coach.[1] His first chances to play came in his sophomore year, when seniorFili Moala injured his foot two games into the season.[3] Playing lineman on both sides of the ball, Iupati received all-state and all-conference honors and served as a team captain. As a junior, he had 80 tackles and 12 sacks, and earned a first-team All-CIF selection. Iupati also competed inwrestling andtrack & field (52 ft 2 in (15.90 m) in theshot put).[4]
Considered only a two-star recruit by bothRivals.com andScout.com,[5][6] Iupati was not ranked among the best offensive lineman prospects in the nation. Only a few schools offered him scholarships, among themArizona andTexas–El Paso. However, those schools backed off because of Iupati's poor academic record, caused by a language barrier (English is his second language).[1] Not having a high enoughSAT score or sufficient grades, Iupati was planning to attendjunior college until Johnny Nansen saw him in 2005, at a junior college'sbarbecue hosted for potential recruits. Nansen, then an assistant atIdaho under head coachNick Holt, offered him a spot with the Vandals the next day and spent considerable time trying to convince Iupati and his family that theWestern Athletic Conference university on thePalouse was a better choice than junior college.[1]
Iupati attended theUniversity of Idaho inMoscow, and played for theVandals from2006 through2009. Because of academic problems, he was ineligible to play as a true freshman in2005 and therefore unable to receive ascholarship or financial aid. His family took out a loan to pay non-resident tuition and room and board for his first year.[1] He joined the Vandals football team in 2006, seeing action in a backup role as aredshirt freshman under head coachDennis Erickson. As a sophomore in2007, he started all 12 games at left guard, and became an impact player on the line for the struggling Vandals, under first-year head coachRobb Akey.
Iupati had off-season shoulder surgery, and did not return to the lineup until the third game of the2008 season. He went on to start in 8 of the 10 games in which he played. He earned second-team All-WAC recognition in his junior year.[7]
As a senior in 2009, Iupati was named to the preseason watch list for theOutland Trophy and theLombardi Award.[8][9] He was listed at No. 9 onRivals.com's preseason interior lineman power ranking.[10] Iupati started all twelve games in 2009 at left guard, played 807 snaps with 49 knockdowns and 21 pancake blocks. He did not allow aquarterback sack and just five defensive players he has blocked have even pressured quarterbacksNathan Enderle or Brian Reader.[11] He helped the Vandals record their first winning season since1999,[12] and their firstbowl game win since1998, as they beat theBowling Green Falcons 43–42 in theHumanitarian Bowl.[13]
On November 24, Iupati was named one of three finalists for theOutland Trophy, alongsideRussell Okung and winnerNdamukong Suh.[14] Iupati was a consensusAll-American and also named first-team All-WAC.[15][16] He was the first Idaho Vandal to receive All-American honors sinceJohn Yarno in1976 and the first All-American from theWAC sinceRyan Clady in2007.[16]
Iupati was considered one of the best offensive guard prospects available in the2010 NFL draft.[17] According to several scouts he projected as a late first or early second round selection.[1]The Sporting News' Russ Lande reported that "nearly every scout who has evaluated Iupati on film says he has the footwork and athleticism to be an NFL left tackle."[18] According toSports Illustrated's Tony Pauline, Iupati was "the highest-rated guard sinceSteve Hutchinson," whom theSeattle Seahawks selected with the 17th pick in the2001 NFL draft.[19]
To prepare for theNFL Combine, Iupati relocated toIrvine and worked with former NFL linemanJackie Slater at least four days a week, at both guard and tackle.[12] By the time of the combine, Iupati was ranked as high as 15th best player overall on several draft boards as well as the only guard projected to go in the first two rounds by NFLDraftScout.com.[20] Though Iupati only scored a 13 on theWonderlic intelligence test,[21] it did not stop the San Francisco 49ers from selecting Iupati in the first round with the 17th pick overall.[22] It was the first time the 49ers used a first round pick on an interior offensive lineman since selectingForrest Blue 15th overall in1968.[23] Iupati was the highest selected Idaho Vandal sinceRay McDonald went 13th overall to theWashington Redskins in the1967 NFL draft.[24]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft5+1⁄8 in (1.96 m) | 331 lb (150 kg) | 34+3⁄4 in (0.88 m) | 10+5⁄8 in (0.27 m) | 5.26 s | 1.84 s | 3.01 s | 4.93 s | 7.85 s | 27+1⁄2 in (0.70 m) | 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) | 27 reps | 13 |
| All values fromNFL combine[25][26] | ||||||||||||
On July 30,2010, Iupati signed a five-year contract with the 49ers reportedly worth $18.25 million, with $10.8 million guaranteed.[27] He started with the 49ers' first-string offense at left guard whenDavid Baas was injured in training camp.[3]
Iupati had a strong start to the 2010 season, not committing a penalty, or allowing a sack until Week 5.[28] He made valuable contributions to the 49ers' running game, delivering downfield blocks.[29][30]ESPN's Mike Sandos selected Iupati to his 2010 All-NFC West Team,[31] while thePro Football Writers Association named him one of their 2010 NFL All-Rookie selections.[32]
In2012, Iupati had an outstanding season and made the 2012 All-Pro first-team. He was also one of the six 49ers selected as Pro Bowl starters.
At the end of the 2012 season, Iupati and the 49ers appeared inSuper Bowl XLVII. He started in the game, but the 49ers fell to theBaltimore Ravens by a score of 34–31.[33]
On March 10,2015, Iupati signed a five-year, $40 million contract with theArizona Cardinals. On November 15, against theSeattle Seahawks, Iupati was placed in an ambulance on the field with a neck injury. He returned the week after against the49ers, and went on to start every game for the remainder of the season. He was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl and Second-team All-Pro.[34][35]
Iupati entered the2017 season as the Cardinals starting left guard. He suffered a triceps injury in Week 1 and missed the next two games before being placed on injured reserve.[36]
In2018, Iupati started ten games at left guard, missing two with a back injury, before suffering a knee injury in Week 13. He was diagnosed with anMCL injury and was placed on injured reserve on December 3.[37]
On March 14,2019, Iupati signed a one-year contract with theSeattle Seahawks.[38] Iupati was named aPro Bowl alternate for the2019 season.[39]
Iupati re-signed with the Seahawks on April 21, 2020.[40] He started 11 games at left guard, missing six due to injury.
On February 22, 2021, Iupati announced his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons.[41]
After a home game againstHawaii on October 17, 2009, Iupati met his future wife, Ashley Galeai, ofNampa, Idaho; her cousin played for the Warriors. Ashley and Mike Iupati married in February 2012, and have a son, KoaAli'i (born in August 2012).[42] The couple resides nearStar, Idaho.[41]
Michael's sister, Fionna, a Site Registrar for Central Texas College, resides with her husband and kids in Fort Polk, Louisiana. His two brothers, Aposetolo Jr. and Andrew, both reside inCorona, California, and are currently in the field of providing personnel security. Iupati bought his parents a home in Corona,[43] after making it to the NFL.
Iupati's younger brother, Andrew, playeddefensive tackle for theOregon Ducks from2007 to2009,[44] before transferring toHumboldt State, where he graduated in 2012.[45] Andrew Iupati went undrafted in2012, but attended San Francisco's three-day rookie minicamp in May 2012.[46]
