Ropati Pitoitua
Encyclopedia
Ropati Pitoitua [Roe-pot-ti Pito-it-tuah] (born April 6, 1985 in Samoa
) is an American football
defensive end
for the New York Jets
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
at Washington State
.
in Lakewood, WA, although did not pick up football until junior season but he earned two football letters as well as Seamount League Defensive Player of the Year in 2002.
As a freshman in 2004 he played in 8 games with 4 starts and was named The Sporting News All-Pacific-10 freshman team after recording 24 tackles (5.5 for losses) and 5 sacks. In 2005 he played in 7 games with no starts after suffering a broken leg in fall camp and missed the first five games of the season, in limited duty he recorded 13 tackles (1 for a loss) and 1 sack.
As a junior in 2006 he played in 9 games starting all 9 and recording 37 tackes (7.5 for losses) and 2.5 sacks. As a senior in 2007 he played in 12 games, starting all of them and made 40 tackles, 7 for losses and went without a sack.
and was placed on the injured reserve list on August 23, 2010.
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
) 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...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
.
Early years
Played football and basketball at Clover Park High SchoolClover Park High School
Clover Park High School , located in Lakewood, Washington, is one of two secondary schools within the Clover Park School District.-History:The high school was established in 1938 due to the rapid expansion of nearby military posts at Fort Lewis....
in Lakewood, WA, although did not pick up football until junior season but he earned two football letters as well as Seamount League Defensive Player of the Year in 2002.
College career
He played in 36 games (25 starts), posting 116 tackles, 19 TFL and 8.5 sacks in four seasons at Washington State and was named WSU's Leon Bender Award winner as Cougars' Defensive Lineman of the Year as senior when he started 11 games at DT and one at DE.As a freshman in 2004 he played in 8 games with 4 starts and was named The Sporting News All-Pacific-10 freshman team after recording 24 tackles (5.5 for losses) and 5 sacks. In 2005 he played in 7 games with no starts after suffering a broken leg in fall camp and missed the first five games of the season, in limited duty he recorded 13 tackles (1 for a loss) and 1 sack.
As a junior in 2006 he played in 9 games starting all 9 and recording 37 tackes (7.5 for losses) and 2.5 sacks. As a senior in 2007 he played in 12 games, starting all of them and made 40 tackles, 7 for losses and went without a sack.
Professional career
He was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and would spend the season on the team's practice squad. In 2009, Pitoitua posted three tackles in eight games. During the preseason in 2010, Pitoitua tore his achilles' tendon against the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and was placed on the injured reserve list on August 23, 2010.