Willie Tuitama
Encyclopedia
Willie Coonley Savea Tuitama (born June 13, 1987 in Stockton, California
) is an American football
quarterback
for the Nebraska Danger
of the Indoor Football League
.
. In 2005 he was ranked by SuperPrep All-America, its No. 16 quarterback. He received PrepStar All-America honors, as well as votes in the Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Poll. Named Cal-Hi Sports third-team All-State. As a Senior, he completed 158 of 254 passes for 2,734 yards, with 32 touchdowns, with only 7 interceptions. Led St. Mary's to California's Division I sectional championship, beating Nevada Union High School
, 50-45 with Tuitama completing his last 11 passes. He had no incompletions in the second half. His team finished 13-1 and Tuitama led the league in passing yards, completing 17 of 23 passes for career highs of 312 yards and five touchdowns in his final prep game. Following the year he was named a Max Emfinger top 30 dropback QB list with 4.5 stars, CollegeFootballnews.com No. 12 QB prospect nationally. He was a two-year letterman in football and once in baseball. He was also named a Rivals.com
4-star prospect.
and Arizona Wildcats
. He chose Arizona, where he majored in family studies and human development. He became the all-time leader in career passing yards (9,211), single-season passing yards (3,683) and career passing touchdowns (67). Despite his illustrious college career (topped off with his being named MVP of the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl
), an untimely DUI arrest likely influenced his name not being called in the 2009 NFL Draft
.
restaurant, Tuitama finally got the chance to play pro football when the expansion Nebraska Danger
indoor football team signed him.
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Nebraska Danger
Nebraska Danger
The Nebraska Danger is a professional indoor football team set to begin play in the Indoor Football League for the 2011 season. Based in Grand Island, the Danger will play its home games at Eihusen Arena....
of the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
.
Early life
Born the son of Lui and Nancy Tuitama of Stockton, Willie attended St. Mary's High School (Stockton, California)St. Mary's High School (Stockton, California)
Saint Mary's High School, founded in 1876, is a Roman Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory in Stockton, California, USA. The school has long established itself as the premier private secondary school in the San Joaquin County. St...
. In 2005 he was ranked by SuperPrep All-America, its No. 16 quarterback. He received PrepStar All-America honors, as well as votes in the Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Poll. Named Cal-Hi Sports third-team All-State. As a Senior, he completed 158 of 254 passes for 2,734 yards, with 32 touchdowns, with only 7 interceptions. Led St. Mary's to California's Division I sectional championship, beating Nevada Union High School
Nevada Union High School
Nevada Union High School is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of California's capital, Sacramento. Situated between Nevada City and Grass Valley, the school serves those two incorporated cities and a large surrounding community. The Nevada Union High School district covers a huge...
, 50-45 with Tuitama completing his last 11 passes. He had no incompletions in the second half. His team finished 13-1 and Tuitama led the league in passing yards, completing 17 of 23 passes for career highs of 312 yards and five touchdowns in his final prep game. Following the year he was named a Max Emfinger top 30 dropback QB list with 4.5 stars, CollegeFootballnews.com No. 12 QB prospect nationally. He was a two-year letterman in football and once in baseball. He was also named a Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
4-star prospect.
College career
After being contacted by many Pac-10 teams, he was offered a scholarship from WashingtonWashington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
and Arizona Wildcats
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
. He chose Arizona, where he majored in family studies and human development. He became the all-time leader in career passing yards (9,211), single-season passing yards (3,683) and career passing touchdowns (67). Despite his illustrious college career (topped off with his being named MVP of the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl
2008 Las Vegas Bowl
The 2008 Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl was an NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS post-season college football bowl game between the Arizona Wildcats, the fifth pick from the Pacific 10 Conference and the BYU Cougars, third place overall in the Mountain West Conference. This bowl game was played on December...
), an untimely DUI arrest likely influenced his name not being called in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
.
Nebraska Danger
After taking extra classes at Arizona and working part-time at a local Buffalo Wild WingsBuffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar is a casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise in the United States that is known for its Buffalo wings.-History:...
restaurant, Tuitama finally got the chance to play pro football when the expansion Nebraska Danger
Nebraska Danger
The Nebraska Danger is a professional indoor football team set to begin play in the Indoor Football League for the 2011 season. Based in Grand Island, the Danger will play its home games at Eihusen Arena....
indoor football team signed him.