Tyson Alualu

Tyson Alualu's Biography

Tyson Asi Alualu, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, was born on May 12, 1987, and is known for his professional football career as an American nose tackle. Furthermore, he was selected for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. However, as of this article, he stands as a free agent. His football prowess initially came into light during his college days when he played for the California Golden Bears.

Growing up, Alualu attended and graduated from Saint Louis School in Hawaii in 2005, establishing a reputation as a strong player. He was selected twice for the all-state team by the Honolulu Star Bulletin. In 2005, he was considered the No. 2 player in Hawaii and the No. 24 defensive tackle in the United States by Rivals.com. During his high school days, Alualu recorded 7 sacks and 59 tackles. In his senior year, he shone brighter as he was named the ILH Player of the Year by the Honolulu Advertiser.

Throughout his time in college, Alualu was consistent and devoted to his playing. He partook in all 13 games of his first season and started 13 games in his next three consecutive seasons. His hard work and excellent performances paid off as he was granted second-team All-Pac-10 Conference honors in 2008 as a junior and first-team All-Pac-10 honors as a senior in 2009. After his senior season ended, Alualu represented Cal at the 2010 Senior Bowl, demonstrating impressive skills, including a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovered.

When the 2009 season ended, Alualu was ranked the 12th best defensive line prospect, 42nd overall, in the 2010 NFL draft by Sports Illustrated. This prospect was projected to be a first or second-round pick, coming out of California in 2010. He was invited to the NFL combine and successfully completed all the required combine and positional drills. During California’s pro day on March 10, 2010, he attempted the bench press, short shuttle, achieving better numbers than before, and was ranked as the fourth-best defensive end by NFLDraftScout.com.

Alualu’s career gained momentum when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the first round, as the 10th overall, of the 2010 NFL Draft. However, many analysts considered this pick as the biggest surprise of the draft. Despite the shock and controversy, on August 2, 2010, Alualu signed a five-year contract with the Jaguars, which includes $17.5 million assured and a total value of approximately $28 million.

Alualu commenced his rookie season as the starting defensive tackle, aligning with Terrance Knighton. He started the Jaguars’ season-opening victory over the Denver Broncos and ended it with three solo tackles and his first career sack over Kyle Orton. In Week 6, he made a season-high five combined tackles, which resulted in a loss against the Tennessee Titans. Over the duration of the season, Alualu initiated all 16 games, recording an overall 38 combined tackles and 3.5 sacks. Owing to his exceptional performance his rookie year, he was named to All-Rookie teams by National Football Post, Pro Football Weekly, and The Sporting News.

In the following years, Alualu continued exhibiting impressive performance, achieving various victories, and honors. However, he was not re-signed after the 2016 season ended, and hence became an unrestricted free agent. Nonetheless, this setback didn’t stop him, and in 2017 Alualu signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. As of December 5, 2023, Alualu signed with the Detroit Lions practice squad and was promoted to the active roster on January 24, 2024.

Off the field, Alualu’s personal life reflects his strong work ethic and commitment. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Alualu grew up in the Kuhio Park Terrace neighborhood of Kalihi alongside seven sisters and a brother. His sister, Trinity Alualu, also pursued a sports career, playing college volleyball at Tulsa. As for his father, Ta’avao Alualu, he has a criminal past with recurrent imprisonments for assault and drug charges.

In 2005, Tyson married Desiré Pomele and has since fathered six children. His first child was Tyreé, who was born before fall semester classes at California, because of which Alualu briefly returned home. His other children include Deréon, Tydes, Tyten, Tyson-Jaxx, and Deonne-Skye.