Sione Umufuke

HS, D1, JUCO, D2, Pro Defensive Line bust | Coaching my kid and his homies | Just tryna train DL to not be like me | Dad | Husband | IG: @precision_rush 🇹🇴

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

This got real personal.

There ain’t 128 outside rushers better than him.

I wish I could explain how handcuffed m brother is and has been by spring league DCs, but that’s ok; if he hasn’t said nothin, neither am I.

If you need to get to the QB, CALL.

[St. Louis Battlehawks @BattlehawksUFL]

our guy 🤩

Pita Taumoepenu is HIM 🔥

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

🫰🏾✌🏾

[David Senra @davidsenra]

Rick Rubin describes his daily struggle:

“There is a part of me that doesn't want to show up for anything and I have to overcome that every day.”

“I'm lazy. It's a real part of it. I'm telling you an honest piece of this which is every day it's not like "Let's go!”

Every day it's like "Oh no. I've got to go work.”

[The Players’ Tribune @PlayersTribune]

Keldon Johnson on his role with the @spurs: “I remember a couple years ago, I had a hard conversation with Pop. One morning, we were getting ready to play Dallas, and he pulled me to the side and told me that he thought it would be best for the team if I started coming off the bench. I said, ‘Yeah, of course. Whatever’s best for the team, I’ll do it.’ And I truly meant that, too.

But I’m also just human, man. And I was like 24 years old. If I said that I fully bought into this role from the jump, I’d be lying. I had averaged 22 points in the NBA. I’d won a gold medal with Team USA at the Olympics. So I just didn’t understand. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. And ultimately, I didn’t take it well. I sulked. I let the outside noise affect my play. I didn’t present the best version of myself as I was coming off the bench for the rest of that season. And I knew that I was much better than that.

I’ve been reflecting on that part of my journey a lot lately, with the position we’re in right now.

To backtrack a little bit…. When I was drafted in 2019, that was probably one of the most stressful nights of my life. I’d had a great year at Kentucky, and I thought I was going 9 or 10. In my mind, my floor was 15 to Detroit. The crazy thing is, I didn’t even work out for San Antonio. We talked a little bit on FaceTime, but I honestly didn’t think I’d still be on the board at 19 when the Spurs picked. Definitely not at 29, where I ended up going. I don’t know why I slipped so much, but thank God I did, because I landed at a proven organization with vets who could mold me.

That situation could have gone one of two ways. Thankfully, it went the good way.

Dejounte was young, too, but he knew the ropes better than me, and he made sure that I did everything the right way. I can’t thank him enough to this day for how much he’s helped my career. Same thing with DeMar DeRozan. Those guys really embraced me and took me under their wing as a young guy, and showed me how it was done. I feel like I had such a great group of vets, whether it was LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills, Rudy Gay — all those guys went out their way to make sure I was solid. I feel like they knew how good I could be before I even knew how good I could be. They didn’t let me skip any steps, which was huge for my career early on.

And yeah, fast-forward to summer 2024, and I got to thinking back on my first couple years here in San Antonio, and how I could get that spark back, get back to being me. That’s when I started to see the bigger picture. We had picks. There were all these signs that we were building something that was gonna be special, all these bright green flags.

But there was this one red flag.

Me.

In that moment, I had to take a hard look in the mirror. And man, I just got embarrassed. I hated that feeling — the feeling that I had let my vets down, and especially let my younger teammates down.

This organization believed in me since day one, when Pop and our GM at the time R.C. Buford took a leap of faith on a player who was sliding in the draft and didn’t even have a workout at their facility. They had a plan, and I was a big piece of that plan. I just needed to get out of my own way. Period.

I knew that I could either be the person who tries to fight the change, who makes it about them and their ego, and tries to do everything their way (which never really works). Or, I could trust the process. And the Spurs never gave me a reason not to trust it. So I bought into my role, and I put my best foot forward each and every night. Whatever I had to do to be the best version of myself, I did it. And I feel like this season has been a testament to that.

I’m just really at home here. I think that’s probably obvious, right? The cowboy hat isn’t a gimmick. San Antonio is all me. Being a country boy, that’s just a part of who I am. From Huntington Prep to Oak Hill Academy to Kentucky, I feel like I just carried that country boy vibe with me everywhere I went.” https://t.co/WnVP4cXPll

[St. Louis Battlehawks @BattlehawksUFL]

from only one year of high school ball to the pros, Pita Taumoepenu has enjoyed every step of his journey.

@RbAofStLouis

[Malvin @ManOfFocus_]

You're not even trying half as hard as you're capable of. And you know it.

This is why you're depressed.

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

This spirit of laziness be gettin me.

Thus continues the fight..

Lord, guide me.

[Dear Son. @DearS_o_n]

After this bounce back, Neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr let yourself go back that way again. Promise me, son.

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

This is pass rush.

[Jordan J. Gush @JordanGush]

Brian Hartline @brianhartline 👂

“I tried to explain to guys, the art of playing WR is like knowing what I’m doing and keeping it a secret as long as possible, and the DB is just trying to figure out what your running.”

“I love guys that play at max capacity. If you’re only a 4.6 I want you playing at 4.6.” 🛎️

“If you’re already fast and you don’t play fast like we’re in alert.”

@davidpollack47

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

Bro idefk it’s a damn travesty.

3 TFLs already, IN THE RUN

[Justin Powell @JeTkIn4]

HOW HAS PITA TAUMOEPENU NOT BEEN PICKED UP BY THE NFL!?!?!

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

@CoachEason1 Flip phone days.. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

I’m in the business of attitude adjusting when it’s football.

If your attitude is ass, I’ll press you til you want to stay and see the vision through, or I’ll press you and you’ll go away.

Either way, keep your attitude in check cus football don’t care.

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

Maaaaaaan still pissed as all hell. Growing through pains is straight up BUNS. Gotta get it the first time good grief.

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

@DizzleSizzle8 @PatFromThe314 Rhythm throws get tossed with press, Dallas and DC offenses automatically out of sorts, now DL can disrupt game. So easy, and they make it so complicated 🤣🤣 too much scheme cus DC trying to get a (college) job after this season 👀🤷🏽‍♂️

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

@DizzleSizzle8 @PatFromThe314 Thank goodness someone sees it too 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️

Send blitzes from the opposite side of Pita as well please.

[7PM in Brooklyn @7PMinBrooklyn]

Jose going from undrafted free agent to fan favorite is the NBA journey dreams are made of 🫡

"New Orleans called me, 'Jose we really want you' ... we celebrated like I was the No. 1 pick."

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

Nah, I rock wit buddy tough. Wasn’t a fan of the game but after seein this, I understand it now. FSFS in my top 5 hoopers off the muscle 💪🏾

[7PM in Brooklyn @7PMinBrooklyn]

Jose going from undrafted free agent to fan favorite is the NBA journey dreams are made of 🫡

"New Orleans called me, 'Jose we really want you' ... we celebrated like I was the No. 1 pick."

[Sione Umufuke @CoachUmufuke]

Gotta make the play when you take your chance 💯💯💯