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Andrew Motuapuaka Season 2017

PositionLB
Weight236 lbs
Height6-0
ClassRedshirt Senior
HometownVirginia Beach, Va.
High SchoolSalem

pronounced mo-TOO-uh-poo-WAH-kuh

2017 Third-Team All-ACC
2016 Second Team All-ACC (Coaches)
2016 Third Team All-ACC (ACSMA)

2017-18: ACC Linebacker of the Week (9/5) ... Played in all 13 games of the season … Totaled 92 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one INT, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery … Made 12 tackles and one sack against West Virginia … Recorded eight tackles against Delaware … Had six stops against East Carolina … Made three tackles and one sack against Old Dominion … Recorded nine tackles against Clemson … Had six tackles against Boston College … Made nine tackles and one interception against North Carolina … Recorded six tackles against Duke … Had four tackles against Miami … Made 12 tackles against Georgia Tech … Recorded seven tackles and one sack against Pitt … Had three tackles against Virginia … Made seven stops against Oklahoma in the Camping World Bowl.

2016-17: Second Team All-ACC (Pro Football Focus) ... Third Team All-ACC (Phil Steele) ... ACC Defensive Linebacker Player of the Week (ACC 11/28) ... Team of the Week Honoree (Pro Football Focus 10/11) ... Started and played in 14 games ... Totaled 114 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, three INTs, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries ... Recorded seven tackles against Liberty ... Had 15 stops against Tennessee ... Made eight tackles against ECU ... Had 12 tackles and one INT at North Carolina ... Had eight tackles ... Had a pair of tackles against Miami and two pass breakups ... Made four tackles and forced a fumble at Pittsburgh ... Recorded eight tackles against Duke ... Had 14 tackles and a sack against Georgia Tech ... Made 11 tackles against Notre Dame ... Had six tackles, an INT and a recovered fumble against Virginia ... Had four tackles and an INT against Clemson ... Recorded eight tackles against Arkansas in the Belk Bowl.

2015-16: Started and played in 11 games … Was in on 702 plays, logging 656 as linebacker and 46 on special teams during the regular season … Recorded 73 tackles with 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks … Recovered two fumbles, forcing three … Made four tackles against No. 1 Ohio State … Had four tackles and an 18-yard interception returned for a touchdown versus Furman … Did not play at Purdue or East Carolina due to a knee injury … Tallied seven tackles with 1.0 sack, forcing two fumbles against Pittsburgh … Collected two tackles with a half tackle for loss and half sack versus NC State … Logged 10 tackles with 1.0 tackles for loss and two pass breakups and passes defended each at Miami … Notched five tackles with one quarterback hurry versus No. 23 Duke … Posted seven tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack, and recovered a fumble for 34 yards at Boston College … Had a season-high of 12 tackles, tying a career high 2.5 tackles for loss at Georgia Tech … Tallied eight tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss versus No. 12 North Carolina … Collected seven tackles with 1.0 tackles for loss at Virginia ... Had seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a pass breakup and a pass defended in the Independence Bowl vs. Tulsa.

2014-15: Played in 12 games, making three starts … Logged 418 plays, 325 at linebacker and 93 on special teams … Tallied 54 tackles on the season, including four TFL and two sacks … Also had a fumble recovery … Was in on six defensive plays, assisting on one tackle, in the season opener against William & Mary … Saw action on special teams against East Carolina and Georgia Tech … Recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the Western Michigan game and returned it for a touchdown, also adding a tackle and a hurry in the game … Made a tackle while in on special teams at North Carolina … Had three tackles while seeing action at linebacker and on special teams against Pitt … Made his first start against Miami and finished the game with 11 tackles … Led the Hokies with 14 tackles against Boston College … Made ten tackles in the win at Duke … Had 10 tackles, including two sacks, at Wake Forest … Made two tackles while in on special teams against Virginia … Had a tackle in the bowl game.

2013-14: Was redshirted … Worked on the scout team as a linebacker … Posted a 365-pound bench press, a 380-pound front squat and a 32.5-inch vertical jump in fall scout team max testing … Suffered a fractured right scapula late in spring practice that required surgery.

High School: Played for Coach Robert Jackson at Salem High … Listed as the No. 20 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 13 prospect in Virginia by Rivals … Rated the No. 24 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times … Ranked as the No. 23 player in Virginia in SuperPrep’s preseason issue … Ranked as the No. 94 outside linebacker in the country and the No. 36 player in his state by 247Sports … Listed as the No. 24 middle linebacker in the country by Scout … Ranked as the No. 24 outside linebacker in the country, the No. 48 player in his region and the No. 15 player in the state by ESPN Recruiting Nation … Selected to play in the Chesapeake Bowl … A second-team Group AAA all-state selection by Virginia Preps … A first-team All-Tidewater selection by The Virginian Pilot as a senior after posting 115 tackles, including 21 tackles for loss and eight sacks … Also had three interceptions and five forced fumbles … A first-team All-Eastern Region selection at linebacker … A first-team All-Beach District selection at linebacker … First-team All-757 … A two-time All-Tidewater selection … Had 97 tackles and three interceptions his junior year … Also played basketball and threw the shot put and discus for the track team.

Personal: Andrew Warren Motuapuaka … Born June 29, 1995 in Auckland, New Zealand … Son of Siaosi and Manu Motuapuaka, who are from Tonga and went to school in New Zealand … Has a younger brother and younger sister … Family migrated to the U.S. and his father joined the U.S. Army … Majoring in multimedia journalism.