Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight 94 kg | Positions Running back Name Junior Tautalatasi | |
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Date of birth: (1962-03-24) March 24, 1962 (age 53) NFL draft: 1986 / Round: 10 / Pick: 261 Education | ||
Taivale "Junior" Tautalatasi Jr. (born March 24, 1962) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Washington State University.
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Early years
Tautalatasi attended Encinal High School, before moving on to Chabot College. He transferred to Washington State University at the end of his sophomore season.
After redshirting for a year, he posted modest stats in his college career, while playing behind Rueben Mayes (conference rushing leader) and Kerry Porter. As a senior, he registered 53 carries for 364 yards with a 6.8 average.
Philadelphia Eagles
Tautalatasi was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the tenth round (261st overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft. In the preseason, he made the team after showing big play potential. He appeared in all 16 games as the team's third down back and started 2 games, including the season opener, while Keith Byars was recovering from a foot injury. Although he was slowed down by a right knee injury, he finished with 41 receptions (second on the team).
Buddy Ryan, Tautalatasi's head coach with the Eagles, was unable to pronounce his last name and referred to him most often as "Junior Smith". On November 9, 1988, he was waived to make room for Walter Abercrombie.
Dallas Cowboys
In 1989, he was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent. He was a backup running back and was released on August 26, 1990.