UW Offers Bay Area OT Who Might Want to Get Lost in 'The Shuffle'
Ikinasio "Iki" Tupou is a Palo Alto High School offensive tackle with serious football aspirations and, he might not know it just yet, someone who could have substantial name, image and likeness possibilities.
Or has he not heard of "the Ickey Shuffle."
Nearly two decades before Tupou was born, Elbert "Ickey" Woods emerged from Fresno, California, as the nation's leading rusher for the Fresno State Bulldogs, 165 miles south, and became an NFL sensation.
The running back combined his nickname with an end-zone dance that thrilled the masses all the way to the Super Bowl. A middle-aged Woods is still seen in TV advertisements today doing his shuffle in a supermarket setting.
"Iki Shuffle" anyone?
On Monday, the University of Washington offered a scholarship to the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Tupou, who is a 3-star recruit from the Class of 2024 and who tweeted out his opportunity.
Since the Huskies are facing California on Saturday, it seems only right that Tupou holds a previous offer from the Golden Bears, as well as San Jose State. He's the second player in two days who's been pursued by the UW coaching staff alongside Cal, which helps set the stage for the weekend matchup.
The Huskies currently have edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui, linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala and defensive tackle Faatui Tuitele on the roster, so a Tupou makes sense.
They had one once before in defensive tackle Taniela Tupou, a Marysville, Washington, product who played for the UW in 2012-15 and is not believed to be related to this Californian. The older Tupou went to camp with three NFL teams and now plays American rugby.
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