Mark Tuinei
| No. 71 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | March 31, 1960 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Oceanside, California | ||||||||
| Date of death: | May 6, 1999 (aged 39) | ||||||||
| Place of death: | Plano, Texas | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 314 lb (142 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Honolulu (HI) Punahou | ||||||||
| College: | Hawaii | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1983 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
| Games played: | 195 |
|---|---|
| Games started: | 147 |
| Seasons: | 15 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Mark Pulemau Tuinei (March 31, 1960 – May 6, 1999) was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. Known as a "gentle giant", his career lasted for 15 years (1983–1997) and his ability to protect quarterback Troy Aikman and to run-block for running back Emmitt Smith helped them win Super Bowls in 1992, 1993, and 1995 and the NFC East Division in 1985 and 1992-96. He was also selected for the Pro Bowl in 1994 and 1995.
Tuinei was born in Oceanside, California, raised in Nanakuli, Hawai'i and attended Punahou School in Honolulu. He was named the Hawaii Prep Lineman of the Year as a senior, won the state shot put championship and was an All-Star basketball player, while playing on the same team with Barack Obama.
Tuinei played for two seasons at UCLA where he started at defensive tackle as a sophomore, finishing fifth on the team in tackles. The next year he decided to drop out of the school before facing the possibility of being expelled after a fight incident.
As a junior, he transferred back home to the University of Hawaii, but was suspended for the year, after being indicted on assault charges that led to spending three months in prison. He was nagged by injuries his senior year and played in only seven games at defensive end.
In 2007, he was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was inducted into the Polynesian Hall of Fame.
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