ZTF Has Been a Patient Man, And Now It's Time for Another payoff

It's hard being an edge rusher at the University of Washington during spring football practice. A sack typically defines you — and you can't touch the quarterback. Can't lay a finger on him. Not one hangnail. At any time.

It's almost humorous watching someone get a little too close for comfort to Michael Penix Jr. or Dylan Morris and immediately raise their hands to deny anything nearly happened.

For this and a few other reasons, it's been hard being Zion Tupuola-Fetui at times, with an Achilles tear turning this one-time first-team All-Pac-12 and third-team All-America selection momentary into a second-unit Husky pass rusher last season.

Yet with spring football wrapping up on Saturday, the man affectionately known as ZTF has been one of the Huskies' many constants over the past month and a half, reclaiming his starting position while discovering his leadership capabilities.

"This offseason, with the position I've been put in to start and to lead, I've definitely taken a more serious approach in how I'm coming into things," Tupuola-Fetui said. "I feel really good."

Zion Tupuola-Fetui puts a hand in Bralen Trice's chest as they run through this spring practice drill.

Back in a starting role, ZTF feels upbeat and ready to lead the Huskies to more success.

ZTF waits his turn as Faatui Tuitele (99) and Jake Jennings (88) gets their reps in during practice.

Zion Tupuola-Fetui simulates making a tackle with a practice pad in Husky Stadium.

Sekai Asoau-Afoa (46) and Zion Tupuola-Fetui share a light moment during Husky spring practice.

ZTF changed his number this season, from 58 to 4, with more players showing a preference for a single digit.

Zion Tupuola-Fetui shares a laugh with sophomore Maurice Heims during practice in Husky Stadium.

Zion Tupuola-Fetui is known as one of the Huskies' more stylish ones with his multi-hued hair.

This is what ZTF looks like when he comes up with a sack, which is what he did against Michigan State.

Coach Kalen DeBoer enjoys ZTF's game-day enthusiasm on the sideline.

ZTF forever will be known for his four-game college football brilliance while the pandemic was raging in 2020, when he piled up 7 sacks, including 3 strip sacks.

People immediately suggested that, with a full season in him, the now 6-foot-4, 251-pound Hawaiian would be a high first-round NFL draft pick.

Instead, he took a weird step during Jimmy Lake's one and only spring practice and felt his Achilles shred on him and all of the individual momentum went out of his career.

It seems his full recovery period in becoming the infamous, full-service ZTF character again will stretch out over two and a half years to bring him full circle.

Since the injury, he's gone from an intense recovery period to a trumpeted comeback, a season-ending concussion and a subsequent reserve role for the new Kalen DeBoer coaching staff, playing last season behind first-team All-Pac-12 edge rushers Jeremiah Martin and Bralen Trice, and now back.

It's hard to decide what's been more impressive about this guy with the streaky yellow hair and ever endearing personality — whether it's his sack-happy heroics at the height of COVID or the way he handled losing it all and hanging in there.

Unlike a lot of his college peers around the country, Tupuola-Fetui has stayed patient and resilient, and resisted leaving for the transfer portal in a huff.

It was definitely hard on him, but he kept an ongoing conversation going with Husky edge-rusher coach Eric Schmidt and watched those teammates of his succeed at a very high level.

"I had a great talk with my coach as to how he felt about my game and everything and how they see me," he said. "While it might have been a step back, I think it was for the better. I was behind two all-Pac-12 guys. I'm not going to be mad about that."

Now it's finally his turn again to flourish as a college football player, without any unexpected obstacles getting in the way, and to see how far he can take it this time.

"I've had an up and down journey during my time here, but it's really like sculpted me to understand how to approach the game," ZTF said. "Yeah, I feel confident in my abilities and confident in my understanding of what's going on."

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