Lincoln Riley praises Tuli Tuipulotu for unique leadership

Third-year defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu is taking charge of the Trojan defense. With a first-year head coach and defensive coordinator running the show, USC needed a veteran to step up on the field to help oversee the transition. Tuipulotu is one of the few holdovers and he’s really taken on a leadership position as a junior.

Lincoln Riley has taken notice. At his press conference this week, Riley pointed to Tuipulotu when asked about leadership on defense. The D-lineman has really blossomed into a leading presence on the field and even in the locker room.

Riley had a lot of high praise for him. Read it all below.

“Yeah, I don’t know. The leader deal is interesting, because you can’t make somebody something that they’re not, and what Tuli is…he’s never going to be an overly vocal leader. Like, I think that’s just his personality. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a great leader. In fact, a lot of great leaders, say very little. And when they do talk, it’s impactful. And I think he’s absolutely grown and embraces that role.

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“There’s times when you got to get out front, and he’s done it. He’s talked to the team on a number of occasions, you know. Which I don’t know if he would have done before. So I think he’s gotten up the the confidence to do that, and I think he understands it. That it can be impactful for this team. He’s not a raw raw guy. He’s not a guy you’re going to hear every day. But he’s had some really strong, impactful moments with this team. I’ve seen him more vocal around his teammates, whether it’s encouraging them or challenging them or anything in between.

“So, I’ve been impressed with him because he’s had to get out of his comfort zone a little bit. And again, he’s never going to be the most vocal guy in the room. But we’ve needed him to have an impact. I believe he has. And kind of like the rest of this unit, whether it’s performing, leading, whatever this closing stretch, we’re going to need him to have even a bigger impact.”

Tuli Tuipulotu growing into the experienced, veteran leader that USC desperately needed on defense this season. Lincoln Riley loves to have him.