Terry Lynn Tautolo (born August 30, 1954) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

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for nine seasons in the

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(NFL) for the

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and

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

. He played

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for the

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and was selected in the 13th round of the

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. On December 16, 2013, GQ.com's internet show "Casualties of the Gridiron" reported that Tautolo was homeless and involved in substance abuse. Tautolo's former teammates learned of his dire situation and put out a call for help. With the help of his former UCLA teammate Brent Boyd and head coach

Dick Vermeil Richard Albert Vermeil ( ; born October 30, 1936) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles for seven seasons, the St. L ...

and the

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, he turned his life around and currently works with special needs children.

Career

Tautolo began playing flag football in elementary school, where he learned important skills such as twisting and turning to avoid tackles. His interest in sports continued into his high school years, where he played American football for the Long Beach City Junior High team, the Cecil De Mille Knights, and was a standout as a halfback. In high school, he excelled in both offensive and defensive football, and his physical ability was a key asset, though he struggled with his weight. He was advised to pursue wrestling, and by 1972, he took first place in his division at a state championship. Tautolo's athletic achievements led to him being offered a scholarship to the University of Oregon, although he chose to attend

Long Beach City College Long Beach City College (LBCC) is a public community college in Long Beach, California, United States. It was established in 1927 and is divided into two campuses, the Liberal Arts Campus (LAC) in Lakewood Village and the Trades, Technology, an ...

instead. In 1974, Tautolo was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles but went on to play for several professional teams over the next nine years, including the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Miami Dolphins. He eventually retired from professional football in 1985 due to his decision to pursue other interests. Following his retirement from professional football, Tautolo focused on innovation, designing a Lazy Rider Reclining Infant Carrier. This invention was born out of a personal experience when he was trying to design a more comfortable bike seat for his daughter, Tasi. After several iterations, Tautolo patented the device.

Personal life

Tautolo's younger brother

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was an NFL

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. Tautolo grew up in a family with five boys, with his mother, the late Fa’amaisa Matialo of Aunu’u, and his father, Fa’avae Tautolo, hailing from the same island.Sutter, Frederic Koehler (1989). ''The Samoans: A Global Family''.

University of Hawai'i Press A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

. Page 198.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tautolo, Terry 1954 births Living people American football linebackers Millikan High School alumni Detroit Lions players Miami Dolphins players Philadelphia Eagles players San Francisco 49ers players UCLA Bruins football players Players of American football from Corona, California Players of American football from Long Beach, California American sportspeople of Samoan descent 20th-century American sportsmen Pacific Islander American players of American football