16-Year-Old Football Player Deejay Tuiasosopo Killed in Suspected DUI Crash Following High School Game

A promising young football player with a family legacy in the NFL tragically lost his life Friday night after being struck by a vehicle in a suspected drunk-driving crash near the location where he had played a game just hours earlier.

Deejay Tuiasosopo, 16, was in his first season playing for Federal Way High School in Washington. The 220-pound running back and linebacker had big dreams for his football future, including helping his team capture a state championship. He was scheduled to graduate in 2028.

According to KOMO News, Tuiasosopo was standing on a sidewalk last Friday night when a vehicle involved in a two-car collision struck him. The crash occurred near an intersection close to where he had competed in a football game earlier that evening.

Tragically, Tuiasosopo was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities arrested a 29-year-old man on suspicion of vehicular homicide, alleging that he was driving under the influence at the time of the collision. Police have not released additional details about the suspect or provided an update on the condition of the other driver involved in the crash.

Football was part of the Tuiasosopo family’s legacy, with several relatives having reached the highest levels of the sport.

Deejay was related to former NFL defensive lineman Manu Tuiasosopo, 69, who was selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Manu later joined the San Francisco 49ers and was part of the team that won Super Bowl XIX following the 1984 season.

The family’s football tradition continued through Manu’s son, Marques Tuiasosopo, who starred at the University of Washington. Marques was named MVP of the 2001 Rose Bowl before going on to play eight seasons in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets as a quarterback.

At just 16 years old, Deejay was beginning to build his own football story. His ambitions, potential, and dreams were cut short in a tragedy that has left his teammates, family, and community grieving.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Tuiasosopo family, his teammates, and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss.