Mosi Tatupu Helped John Robinson Modernize Trojan Football

Anyone who saw Mosi Tatupu play could not help but admire his effort plus style.

Tatupu, who died at 54, will be sorely missed. He was a player’s player and coach’s player who did all that was asked of him and then some.

When Tatupu arrived on the USC campus in 1974 his sturdiness marked him as an immediate comer at fullback, someone to throw sturdy blocks and clear the way for those great John McKay tailbacks at the school they called “Tailback U.” for good reason.

What most Trojan grid followers recall, however, was how multi-faceted Tatupu became during his final two seasons of 1976 and 1977 under new coach John Robinson, who took over after McKay left to assume the reins of the new NFL expansion team in Tampa Bay.

Robinson had just served a stint as backfield coach under his closest personal friend, John Madden, with the Oakland Raiders. It was time well spent since Robinson absorbed the wide open offensive schemes developed by Madden and Al Davis featuring future Hall of Fame quarterback Ken “Snake” Stabler.

Tatupu helped Robinson become an offensive innovator at USC during a period when, with the dramatic physical presence of linebackers and defensive backs using speed to take greater liberties in blitz packages, adjustment was essential.

As a modern coach who recognized the need of adjusting to cut down on the effectiveness of defensive aggressiveness, Robinson became an innovator at using motion. The idea was to preoccupy speedy linebackers as well as safeties blitzing and pinching the line of scrimmage.

You occupy and neutralize defenders by forcing them to confront all kinds of potential offensive tactics. This is where the versatile Tatupu came in, becoming a fullback sent in motion. This was a solid innovation since defenders had to be concerned about an additional threat.

The threat had to have a solid basis in fact, which it did in the case of the stocky, rock solid Tatupu, who showed his versatility by catching passes when needed along with his blocking chores clearing paths for talented tailbacks like Ricky Bell, Charles White, and Dwight Ford, and carrying the ball himself on certain short yardage situations.

No wonder Tatupu found such a welcome home with the New England Patriots after his impressive career at USC. He was part of one Patriot Super Bowl team and in 1984 caught 16 passes. The versatile Samoan also played special teams as well as handling his regular fullback chores.

In Robinson’s first campaign and Tatupu’s junior season of 1976 the Men of Troy marched to a conference crown, upset a favored Michigan team 14-6 in the Rose Bowl, and finished second nationally behind the Tony Dorsett-led Pittsburgh Panthers.

With Tatupu as the rarity of a fullback sent into motion, John Robinson’s imaginative offensive game was enhanced. In 1978, when Tatupu was enjoying a fine rookie season in New England, Robinson was winning a national championship.

Innovation was in full swing. Robinson in 1978 introduced a motion ploy called the Zip Zap, employing tight end Vic Rakhshani.

Rakhshani would be kept busy going back and forth in motion before the center snap, playing havoc with defenses and compelling them to guess where Rakhshani would come to a stop.

After his career ended the popular Tatupu became a fixture in New England. Last year he was named to the 50-year anniversary team of the Patriots, a deserved honor for a player who exemplified the meaning of versatility.