Jay Tufele
| No. 97 – Cincinnati Bengals | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Nose tackle | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | July 25, 1999 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Weight: | 305 lb (138 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) | ||
| College: | USC (2017–2020) | ||
| NFL draft: | 2021 / Round: 4 / Pick: 106 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||
Jayleen Pea Tufele[1] (born July 25, 1999) is an American football nose tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC.
Early years[edit]
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.[2] 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.[3][4] Tufele announced his commitment to USC on National Signing Day and enrolled in June.[5]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Tufele DL |
South Jordan, Utah | Bingham High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 297 lb (135 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports:
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 4 (DL), 1 (UT) 247Sports: 3 (DL), 1 (UT) | ||||||
Sources:
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College career[edit]
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.[6] 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[edit]
| Year | GP | Tackles | For Loss | Sacks | Int | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 12 | 23 | 4.5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 13 | 42 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 25 | 65 | 11 | 7.5 | 0 | 0 |
Professional career[edit]
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+1⁄8 in (1.88 m) |
305 lb (138 kg) |
32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) |
9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
5.02 s | 1.75 s | 2.94 s | 4.90 s | 7.81 s | 30.0 in (0.76 m) |
8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) |
30 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[7][8] | ||||||||||||
Jacksonville Jaguars[edit]
Tufele was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round, 106th overall, of the 2021 NFL Draft.[9] On May 21, 2021, he signed his four-year rookie contract with Jacksonville.[10] He was placed on injured reserve on October 29, 2021.[11] He was activated on December 4.
On August 30, 2022, Tufele was waived by the Jaguars.[12]
Cincinnati Bengals[edit]
On August 31, 2022, Tufele was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.[13] 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.
Personal life[edit]
Tufele is of Polynesian descent. His father Line also played football. Tufele has two sisters and two younger brothers.
References[edit]
- ^ Mellor, Cam (August 19, 2020). "Jay Tufele opts out, declares for 2021 NFL Draft". SB Nation. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- ^ Phibbs, Trevor (December 29, 2015). "Prep football: Bingham's Jay Tufele named 2015 Tribune MVP". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "Jay Tufele Recruiting Profile". 247Sports. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "Jay Tufele". Rivals. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "Uay Tufele Timeline Events". 247 Sports. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "The Piesman Trophy: college football's greatest award". Banner Society. August 14, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "Jay Tufele Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ "Jay Tufele, Southern California, DT, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ Oehser, John (May 1, 2021). "No. 106 overall: Tufele is the selection". Jaguars.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ Links, Zachary (May 21, 2021). "NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/21/21". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Roster Moves: OL KC McDermott signed, DT Jay Tufele placed on IR". Jaguars.com. October 29, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Roster Moves: Jaguars waive 15 from the roster". Jaguars.com. August 30, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Bengals Roster Moves: Practice Squad Announced". Bengals.com. August 31, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2023.