Former Denver Broncos linebacker Pita Taumoepenu's sophomore season in the United Football League (UFL) came to a close this past weekend. Taumoepenu's spring football squad, the St. Louis Battlehawks, fell 36-18 to the D.C. Defenders in the XFL Conference Championship game on Sunday.
Even though he won't be lifting a championship trophy at the end of the 2025 campaign, he'll still be going home with a piece of hardware, as Taumoepenu was named the UFL's Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday.
This marks the second time Taumoepenu has garnered such an accolade in his post-NFL career. He previously won the XFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023, the year before the league merged with the modernized United States Football League (USFL) to create the UFL.
Denver Broncos outside linebacker Pita Taumoepenu (67) during rookie minicamp at the UCHealth Training Center.
Denver Broncos outside linebacker Pita Taumoepenu (67) during rookie minicamp at the UCHealth Training Center.
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Taumoepenu led the league with 7.5 sacks, setting a Battlehawks franchise record in the process. In addition to headlining a defensive unit that allowed the fewest points per game (16.3) in the league, he totaled 26 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.
Taumoepenu's professional career includes stints with a now-defunct XFL squad (the Vegas Vipers) and six NFL teams: the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Broncos, and New York Jets. He appeared in 11 regular-season games during his eight-year tenure in the NFL, making five career solo tackles.
Prior to joining the professional ranks, he played college football at Utah. Taumoepenu impressed at the NFL Combine, finishing second amongst all defensive linemen in the 40-yard dash and three-cone drill, which resulted in the 49ers selecting him with a sixth-round (No. 202 overall) pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.