NoteCARDS:
- Signed a five-year contract with the Cardinals on 3/11/15 as an unrestricted free agent after spending his first five seasons with the 49ers.
- Started 29 regular season games and both playoff contests in his first three seasons with Arizona. Missed the final 15 games of the 2017 season with a triceps injury.
- Has started all 104 regular season games and all 10 postseason games played in his career.
- Named a Pro Bowl alternate in 2016 after starting 15 games and helping Cardinals score 418 points (fourth-most in franchise history) and finish with the NFL’s #9 ranked offense.
- Helped RB David Johnson establish franchise single-season records for total yards (2,118), total TDs (20) and rushing TDs (16) in 2016.
- Has blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in four of the last six seasons, including in 2016 when David Johnson rushed for 1,239 yards.
- Earned his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl honor in 2015, becoming the first Cardinals OL to make the Pro Bowl since Lomas Brown in 1996 and the first guard to do so since Bob Young in 1979.
- Selected as the inaugural recipient of the Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year Award for the 2015 season by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.
- Started all 75 regular season games he played in and all eight postseason games in five years with San Francisco, earning three Pro Bowls (2012-14) and was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2012.
- A first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2010 draft, he and fellow first-round pick T Anthony Davis started all 16 games together as rookies in 2010. They became just the third set of rookies to start every game on the offensive line since the 16-game schedule began in 1978.
- Grew up in Vaitogi, American Samoa, a 1.25 square mile village with 1,400 people, and learned English as a second language. Did not live in the United States until prior to his freshman year of high school.
Pro Career:
Originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round (17th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. Signed a five-year contract with the Cardinals as an unrestricted free agent on 3/11/15.
2017: Started at LG in the season-opener @ Det (9/10) but missed the rest of the season due to injury … placed on injured reserve (triceps) on 9/30.
2016: Started at LG in 15 games … helped Cardinals total 418 points (fourth-most in franchise history) and finish as the NFL’s #9 ranked offense … selected as a Pro Bowl alternate … helped Cardinals allow just one sack in 36 pass plays and run for 105 yards and a TD on 30 attempts vs. TB (9/18) … blocked as Arizona ran for 118 yards on 25 carries vs. LAR (10/2) … started but left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury @ SF (10/6) … inactive (ankle) vs. NYJ (10/17) … returned to action and helped Arizona run for 132 yards on 37 attempts vs. Sea (10/23) … contributed as Cardinals rushed for 135 yards and a TD on 28 carries @ Min (11/20) … helped block as Cardinals ran for season-high 175 yards and a TD on 27 attempts @ Mia (12/11); marked his 100th career game and start … blocked as Cardinals ran for 116 yards and three TDs while allowing just one sack vs. NO (12/18) … helped Cardinals run for three TDs and allow just one sack @ Sea (12/24) … helped Cardinals allow just one sack and score season-high 44 points @ LAR (1/1/17).
2015: Started the final 13 games and both playoff games at LG in his first season with the Cardinals … selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, becoming the first Cardinals OL to make the Pro Bowl since Lomas Brown (1996) and the first guard since Bob Young (1979) … earned second-team AP All-Pro honors … helped Arizona finish the season with the NFL’s #1 ranked offense; 27 sacks tied for the fourth-fewest allowed in the league and 1,917 rushing yards ranked eighth in the NFL … inactive (knee) the first three games … made his Cardinals debut and helped Arizona rush for 113 yards on 21 attempts vs. StL (10/4) … helped Cardinals post 187 rushing yards and three TDs on 25 carries @ Det (10/11) … blocked as Cardinals ran for 150 yards and a TD on 28 carries vs. Bal (10/26) … blocked as Cardinals rushed for 119 yards and allowed just one sack in 39 pass plays @ Cle (11/1) … suffered neck injury in second quarter @ Sea (11/15) and left the game … returned from injury to start vs. Cin (11/22) ... helped Cardinals rush for 175 yards and a TD on 36 carries @ StL (12/6) … had first career reception on game-winning FG drive vs. Min (12/10), catching a deflected pass and gaining 10 yards to pick up a first down … part of line that helped Cardinals run for season-high 230 yards and three TDs on 39 attempts @ Phi (12/20); marked most rushing yards by the team in over four years (268, @ StL, 11/27/11) … blocked as Cardinals ran for 121 yards and a TD on 26 carries vs. GB (12/27) … started at LG in Divisional Playoff win vs. GB (1/16/16) and in NFC Championship Game @ Car (1/24/16).
2014: Started 15 games at LG and earned his third straight Pro Bowl selection after helping 49ers rank fourth in the NFL with 136 rushing yards per game … part of line that blocked as Frank Gore ran for 1,106 yards on 255 carries, marking his fourth straight season with more than 1,100 rushing yards … helped pave the way as San Francisco rushed for 218 yards on 42 carries (5.2 avg.) vs. Phi (9/28); team finished with season-high 42:17 time of possession … part of line that held the Rams without a sack @ StL (10/13), as Colin Kaepernick threw for a season-high 343 yards … inactive (concussion) @ Den (10/19) … blocked as 49ers set franchise record with 355 rushing yards on 40 attempts (8.9 avg.) vs. SD (12/20); marked the most rushing yards by any team in the NFL since Minnesota had 378 yards on 11/4/07; Gore finished with season-high 158 yards and a TD on 26 carries while Kaepernick ran for 151 yards on seven attempts, including a 90-yard TD … finished off the season by blocking as 49ers totaled 206 rushing yards on 33 carries (6.2 avg.) vs. Ari (12/28), their third game of 200+ rushing yards on the year and second consecutive; helped Gore run for 144 yards on 25 carries.
2013: Earned second straight Pro Bowl selection after starting 12 regular season games and all three postseason contests … helped 49ers finish third in the NFL averaging 137.6 rushing yards per game as Frank Gore led the way with his third consecutive 1,100+ yard season, totaling 1,128 yards and nine TDs on 276 carries … blocked as San Francisco totaled 494 yards vs. GB (9/8), the second-most total net yards in a season opener in franchise history … helped 49ers top 100 yards rushing in eight straight games from Games 2-9 … led the way as Gore ran for season-high 153 yards and a TD on 20 carries (7.7 avg.) @ StL (9/26); team finished with 219 rushing yards and Gore, Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon all scored TDs, the first time the 49ers had three different RBs score a rushing TD in the same game since 2001 … part of line that did not allow a sack @ Jax (10/27); also helped Niners rush for season-best 221 yards and four TDs on 38 attempts (5.4 avg.) … inactive (knee) for Games 11-14 … helped pave the way for San Francisco to total 199 rushing yards on 30 attempts (6.6 avg.) vs. Atl (12/23), the final game at Candlestick Park … started all three postseason games as 49ers advanced to NFC Championship Game for the third straight season … helped Niners rush for 167 yards in Wild Card game @ GB (1/5/14) … part of line that held Panthers to just one sack in Divisional Playoff game @ Car (1/12/14) … blocked as 49ers ran for 161 yards in NFC Championship Game @ Sea (1/19/14).
2012: Started all 16 games for the third straight season and earned numerous accolades, including AP first-team All-Pro honors and was selected a Pro Bowl starter … also was named first-team All-Pro by PFW/PFWA and earned All-Pro selections from Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, ESPN’s John Clayton and The Sporting News … part of line that won the 2012 Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award, recognizing the best offensive line in the NFL … helped Frank Gore rush for 1,214 yards, his second straight 1,200-yard season and the second-highest total of his career … paved the way as team rushed for 247 yards on 44 carries @ NYJ (9/30) … helped 49ers set a team record with 621 total yards (311 rushing, 310 passing) vs. Buf (10/7); broke previous franchise record of 598 yards (9/13/92 vs. Buf); San Francisco became first team in NFL history with 300+ rushing yards and 300+ passing yards in the same game, and for the first time since 1961, they had a 300-yard passer (Alex Smith, 303), two 100-yard receivers (Michael Crabtree, 113; Vernon Davis, 106) and a 100-yard rusher (Gore, 106) in the same game; line did not allow a sack in the game and won the Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award for Week 5 … blocked as Gore ran for a season-best 131 yards on 16 carries (8.2 avg.) vs. Sea (10/18); line won Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award for Week 7 … part of line that won Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award for a third time in Week 12 as they did not allow a sack @ NO (11/25) … started all three postseason games, including Super Bowl XLVII … helped 49ers become first team in NFL history to have two 100-yard rushers (Colin Kaepernick, 181; Gore, 119) and a 100-yard receiver (Crabtree, 119) in a playoff game in NFL history in Divisional Playoff game vs. GB (1/12/13); Niners totaled 579 yards (323 rushing, 256 passing), setting a new single-game postseason franchise record, and the 323 rushing yards also set a new postseason franchise mark … part of line that helped San Francisco rally from 17-0 first-half deficit to win NFC Championship Game @ Atl (1/20/13); blocked as Gore ran for two second-half TDs … started Super Bowl XLVII vs. Bal (2/3/13) as 49ers became first team in Super Bowl history with a 300-yard passer (Kaepernick, 302), a 100-yard rusher (Gore, 110) and two 100-yard receivers (Crabtree, 109; Davis, 104).
2011: Started all 16 games for the second straight season and helped 49ers rank eighth in the NFL with 127.8 rushing yards per game … blocked as Frank Gore totaled 1,211 rushing yards and eight TDs on 282 carries and set a new franchise record with five straight 100-yard rushing games (Games 4-8) … part of line that did not allow a sack in season opener vs. Sea (9/11) … helped 49ers total 442 yards in come-from-behind victory @ Phi (10/2) … blocked as Niners rushed for season-high 213 yards and did not allow a sack vs. TB (10/9); marked first time in five seasons the team had topped 200 rushing yards and did not give up a sack in the same game; line earned Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award for Week 5 … paved the way as 49ers went over 200 rushing yards for the second straight game, amassing 203 yards on the ground @ Det (10/16); marked first time team had rushed for 200+ yards in back-to-back games since 1998 … helped Niners post season-best 44:16 time of possession while not allowing a sack vs. Ari (11/20) … part of line that held Steelers without a sack vs. Pit (12/19), the fourth game on the season the 49ers did not allow a sack … made postseason debut and started in Divisional Playoff game vs. NO (1/14/12); helped block as 49ers scored two TDs in the final 2:11 to earn 36-32 victory … blocked as San Francisco ran for 150 yards in NFC Championship Game vs. NYG (1/22/12).
2010: Earned All-Rookie honors from PFW/PFWA and The Sporting News after starting all 16 games in his debut season … along with T Anthony Davis, they became just the third set of rookies to start every game on the offensive line since the 16-game schedule began in 1978 (T Adam Meadows and T Tarik Glenn, 1997 Colts; C Nick Mangold and T D’Brickashaw Ferguson, 2006 Jets) … started in his NFL debut @ Sea (9/12); he and Davis became fourth set of rookies to start on the offensive line on opening day in franchise history and the first since 1958 … part of line that did not allow a sack vs. NO (9/20) and vs. Den (10/31) … helped block as 49ers ran for a season-high 261 yards and held the ball for 39:01 @ Ari (11/29).
College:
Played in 35 games (33 starts) at Idaho and became just the second non-BCS conference player to be named a finalist for the Outland Trophy since the award’s inception in 1946 as a senior … started all 13 games at LG during his senior season in 2009, earning first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press, Football Writers of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Football Foundation and Sports Illustrated … also named first-team All-WAC and was the only active player to be selected to the WAC’s All-Decade team for the 2000s … helped Vandals to their first winning season since 1999 and blocked for an offense that ranked ninth in the nation in total offense (451.4 yards per game) … started the final eight games of the season as a junior and earned first-team all-conference honors from the NFL Draft Report … started all 12 games as a sophomore in 2007 after playing in a reserve role as a freshman.
Personal:
Last name pronounced “yoo-PAH-tee” … attended Western (Anaheim, CA) High School where he was a captain and earned All-State and all-conference honors as a senior … had his No. 78 retired at Western in March of 2015 … also competed in wrestling and track and field … did not arrive in the United States until prior to his freshman year of high school … when he moved to the U.S. he lived with his parents and three siblings in an aunt’s garage for six months before moving into a one bedroom apartment … selected as the as the inaugural recipient of the Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year Award for the 2015 season by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame; the award recognizes the most outstanding professional football player of Polynesian ancestry … along with wife, Ashley, has one son, KoaAlii’ … graduated with a degree in General Studies.
