Taitusi Lutui was born in Ha'api, Tonga before moving to the United States at a young age. When he was six years old, Taitusi was in an accident with his family in their van. The van rolled over several times. His little sister Diana was killed and his father was permanently disabled. By the time he was a teenager, Taitusi was responsible for working and paying most of the bills. He is very mature for a 22 year old and is the only married member of the USC football team. He and his wife Pua have a one year old son, Inoke Liuaki Moeltau. Taitusi, nicknamed “Deuce”, went to Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona. He started on both the offensive and defensive line and was an all-conference, all-region, and all-state selection as a senior. He signed with Utah out of high school but did not qualify for admission. He spent his freshman year at Mesa Community College before transferring to Snow Community College in Ephraim, Utah in 2003. He was a first team all-American that season and helped Snow to a 9-1 record. Lutui transferred to USC the following season where he started at right tackle at 380 pounds when Winston Justice was suspended for the year. He lost 40 pounds in the offseason and moved to left guard after the return of Winston Justice. He responded with an excellent season in which he received all-American honors. It’s been a long road for Taitusi, but he is now one of the top guard prospects in the 2006 NFL draft.

Taitusi Lutui is a massive player who has played both right tackle and left guard in his two years at USC. Lutui is very strong and can be a dominating blocker in the run game. He protected Matt Leinart’s blindside as a junior and has helped pave the way for excellent seasons from Reggie Bush and Lendale White. He is a good pass protector, although he did have problems against speed rushers when he played right tackle. He has been a very durable player with no major injuries in his career. He is a junior college transfer with just two years of experience at the division I level. He has good athleticism for a player his size but will need to play guard in the NFL due to his inability to effectively block in space. He weighed 380 pounds when he came to USC. He has lost 40 pounds since then and needs to continue to keep his weight down in the future. Taitusi Lutui has a good deal of upside and should develop into a very good guard at the professional level. He has a chance to be a first day pick in the 2006 NFL draft.