Tragic Loss: High School Football Star, 16, From Legendary NFL Family Killed by Alleged Drunk Driver Hours After Game

He had NFL dreams, a famous football legacy, and his whole life ahead of him. Then one devastating crash changed everything.

Deejay Tuiasosopo, a 16-year-old high school football player from a prominent NFL family, was killed in a tragic car crash just hours after playing a game in Washington state.

The Federal Way High School athlete died Friday night, October 23, after two vehicles collided near Pacific Highway South and South 304th Street. One vehicle left the roadway and struck Deejay as he stood on the sidewalk.

Police pronounced the teenager dead at the scene. A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide after allegedly driving under the influence.

Deejay was playing his first season with the Federal Way Eagles. The talented running back and linebacker dreamed of becoming a state champion and continuing his family’s remarkable football tradition.

His sudden death has left teammates, friends, and relatives struggling to process the heartbreaking loss.

“He had dreams. He wanted to be a state champion,” teammate David Rodriguez said, reflecting on the future Deejay would never get to experience.

Football ran deep in Deejay’s family.

His great-uncle, Manu Tuiasosopo, was a first-round NFL draft pick in 1979. Manu later played for the San Francisco 49ers and won Super Bowl XIX.

His cousin, Marques Tuiasosopo, earned MVP honors at the 2001 Rose Bowl before playing quarterback for the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets.

Deejay hoped to follow in their footsteps, building a future through the sport he loved.

But his life was cut short before he could pursue those ambitions.

On Saturday, family members, teammates, and community members gathered near the crash site for a memorial. Flowers, candles, balloons, and tributes honoring his No. 56 jersey marked the place where the young athlete lost his life.

In a statement shared with KOMO News, Deejay’s family remembered him as a beloved presence whose kindness reached far beyond his immediate circle.

They described him as someone who genuinely cared about others, whether they were lifelong friends or people he had just met.

His family also expressed gratitude for the prayers, messages, photographs, and support offered during an unimaginable time of grief.

For those who knew Deejay, he was more than a promising football player from a famous athletic family. He was a son, a friend, a teammate, and a teenager with dreams still waiting to be fulfilled.

Now, the football community is mourning a young life lost far too soon.

Deejay Tuiasosopo’s dreams ended at 16, but the impact he made on those around him will not be forgotten.