Penn State defensive tackle Siale Taupaki has been playing college football for a long time.
There’s no disputing that.
Most college football players are around for four or five seasons before moving onto pro football or whatever else life has in store.
Taupaki is in his eighth college football season, and that’s something Buffalo coach Pete Lembo has noticed.
But during his weekly press conference ahead of Buffalo’s matchup with Penn State Saturday, Lembo noted Taupaki’s years in college football with an analogy that raised a few eyebrows.
Lembo’s presser came days after the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Lembo noted that the oldest players on Buffalo’s teams weren’t born yet and said the coaching staff made it a point to honor the day and educate the team on its significance.
Then, Lembo transitioned into Taupaki, and joked about how long he’d been playing college football.
“I don’t know how this guy is still around,” Lembo said, “but forget about 9/11, this guy was around during the First Gulf War, I feel like.”
Taupaki signed with UCLA in December 2018.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Like most freshmen, he redshirted his first season.
His second season didn’t count toward his eligibility due to COVID-19.
Taupaki then missed the 2021 season with an injury, leading to a medical redshirt, and injuries limited him to two games in 2022, which led to a medical waiver.
He had the chance to play full seasons in 2023, 2024 and 2025, all at UCLA.
Now, he’s at Penn State for his last ride.
Taupaki talked with Penn State beat reporters ahead of last week’s game against Temple, and opened up about his life beyond football.
“My parents are still struggling,” Taupaki said. “You know, I’m broke. While everybody else is trying to buy their next pendant or buy the next car, I’m really trying to fill in all the holes that I had back at home.”
Penn State-Buffalo is scheduled for noon.
