Palepoi overcomes odds to make NFL roster

(Matt Gade/Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — Tenny Palepoi grew up in a family with 14 children. He learned at a young age to work hard and fight for what he wanted. He also learned at a young age what it took to reach his goal of playing in the NFL.

“Just going to those games, the Denver games and the Seattle games, it just made me love the sport even more,” he said.

He watched his older brother, Anton, play five seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks, Broncos, Cardinals and Saints after a standout college career at Dixie State and UNLV.

He hoped to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He was an all-state performer at Skyline High School, but poor performance in the classroom prevented him from receiving a scholarship from a Division I football program.

His only choice to continue to his football career would be at the junior college level. He chose to attend Snow College. That is where a significant life event would change his future on and off the field.

“My wife at the time, we were dating, found out she was pregnant. Reality set in that I have this other responsibility, probably the greatest responsibility you can have in life. I had to, kind of, buckle down and man up to the occasion and take things a lot more serious," Palepoi said. "That was the biggest blessing to me and it’s what landed me here.”

Tenny became a junior college All-American at Snow, and with his grades now in order, he became a highly sought after prospect by Division I programs. He chose Utah over BYU where he would become an all-Pac-12 selection in 2013. His play caught the eye of NFL scouts, but on draft day he never received a call.


It was a big reality check, man. I mean life is so precious and it's truly a blessing, family, and how precious life is. Going through that whole ordeal was hard for all of us, but it brought my family even closer together and we're moving on but he lives within us so we'll be all right.

–Tenny Palepoi


“I put in a lot of hard work, a lot of time into preparing to be out here and I wasn’t about to let that go to waste.”

Not getting drafted was a major setback, but he was determined to make an NFL roster. He chose to sign with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent and attended training camp hoping to make the team.

“When the offers came in and I got here I realized I was on the same level as everyone else, from the first round pick to the last. I love this game, man. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else, and so when I was out here, I was passionate about everything I do," Palepoi said. 'I love the weight room, and having this as a job was my biggest goal and my biggest dream.”

Palepoi's confidence grew and he beat the odds. He was notified that he had made the 52-man roster. He overcame and learned from the mistakes of his past to achieve his goal.

Now lining up against the best of the best like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning has been a surreal experience for the rookie. He’s seen action in every game this season and has made 19 tackles.

“Being able to do this now is still unreal to me, but it’s a lot of fun,” he said about facing Brady and Manning. “You’re just staring at them and are like, am I really going up against this guy? You grow up watching these guys play, and I forget to get down in my stance because I’m just staring at them the whole time. I just want to shake his hand and say, 'This is Peyton Manning.' It’s so much fun.”

No one was more proud of his achievement than his older brother, Francis. He watched his brother learn from his mistakes and mature into an NFL football player as well as a husband and father.

“My brother was my biggest fan. He went to every game since high school. He was my biggest critic but, yet, he was my No. 1 fan,” he said.

Francis passed away on Nov. 27 after a long battle with heart disease. He was 42 years old and leaves behind three children.

Palepoi attended the funeral with his family in Salt Lake City and then rushed to Baltimore where he helped the Chargers beat the Ravens in an important game for both teams.

He knew his brother would have wanted him to play in that game. His brother’s death has given Palepoi a different perspective on life.

“It was a big reality check, man. I mean life is so precious and it’s truly a blessing, family, and how precious life is," he said. "Going through that whole ordeal was hard for all of us, but it brought my family even closer together and we’re moving on but he lives within us so we’ll be all right.”

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