Steve Tu'ikolovatu enters his first season on the Northeastern State Football coaching staff as its Defensive Line Coach.
Tu'ikolovatu came to Tahlequah after spending the 2025 campaign at Snow College. Under his watch, the Badgers collected 21 sacks on the season, an improvement from the previous year. The Badgers' defensive front also played a significant role in holding opponents to just 136.3 rushing yards per game and 11 rushing touchdowns throughout the season.
Tu'ikolovatu's playing career saw him get drafted in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he spent two seasons at the professional level. Previously, Tu'ikolovatu earned Second Team All-Pac-12 honors in 2016 at USC while also being named the Rose Bowl Defensive MVP in the team's 52-49 victory against Penn State. During the 2016 season with the Trojans, Tu'ikolovatu finished second among the team's defensive linemen with 53 tackles, adding two tackles for loss and one pass breakup.
Tu'ikolovatu appeared in 23 games across the 2014 and 2015 seasons at Utah, recording 28 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, four fumble recoveries and a touchdown on a 2015 Utes team that won 10 games and earned a share of the Pac-12 South Division title.Â
