Christian Tupou Class: Senior Hometown: Sacramento High School: Grant Height / Weight: 6-2 / 290 Position: DT Birthdate: 05/07/1989 Experience: 3V

2010: Tupou, USC's most veteran defensive lineman, was set to anchor the line in 2010 as a senior tackle starting for his third year. But he tore ligaments in his left knee in USC's spring game that concluded 2010 spring drills, so he will redshirt while sidelined in 2010.

2009: Tupou started at nose tackle for his second season as a junior in 2009. Overall in 2009 while appearing in all 13 games (and starting all but Notre Dame and Oregon State), he had 25 tackles, including 4 for losses (with 1.5 sacks), and 2 forced fumbles. He made 2009 All-Pac-10 honorable mention and won USC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year Award and Bob Chandler Award.

He had 1 tackle each against San Jose State and Ohio State, then 3 tackles (including 2 for losses, with a sack) and a forced fumble at Washington. He added 2 stops (0.5 sack) against Washington State, 2 tackles at California, 4 tackles at Oregon and 3 tackles and forced a fumble that USC recovered at Arizona State. He had 1 tackle each against UCLA and Arizona. He had a team-best 7 tackles (including 1.5 for losses) against Boston College.

2008: Tupou more than held his own in his 2008 sophomore season as he started USC's last 10 games at nose tackle after serving as an often-used backup there in the first 3 contests. Overall in 13 games in 2008, he had 12 tackles, including 3 for losses of 7 yards, and a deflection. He had 3 tackles versus California and 2 each against Arizona State, Notre Dame, UCLA (with a deflection) and Penn State.

2007: Tupou saw brief action in 4 games (Washington State, Notre Dame, Arizona State and Illinois) as a reserve defensive tackle as a first-year freshman in 2007. He did not make a tackle. He won USC's John McKay Award and Service Team Defensive Player of the Year Award.

HIGH SCHOOL: His 2006 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tacoma News-Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team and Sacramento Bee Defensive MVP as a senior defensive end and fullback at Grant High in Sacramento (Calif.). He had 82 tackles and 5 sacks in 2006 as Grant went 13-0.

As a junior in 2005, he was All-Area, All-City and All-League as he had 85 tackles, 16 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries.

He had 26 tackles and 9 sacks as a 2004 sophomore.

He also played basketball at Grant.

PERSONAL: He is a political science major at USC with a B- average (2.79 GPA). He made 2008 Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention. His brother, Fenuki, was an offensive tackle at Oregon (2007-08) who now plays with the Philadelphia Eagles.

GAME-BY-GAME WITH CHRISTIAN TUPOU

2009

2008