Weber State University Athletics
Hall of Fame - Alfred Pupunu
3/10/2015 8:02:00 PM | Wildcat Club
Alfred Pupunu
Football (1990-91)
Inducted February 2005
Even though he played for just seasons, Alfred Pupunu established himself as one of the all-time great tight ends in Weber State and Big Sky Conference football history.
A native of Salt Lake City, Pupunu graduated from South High School and spent two seasons at Dixie Junior College before coming to Weber State to play for Coach Dave Arslanian.
During his junior season, Pupunu caught just eight passes for 87 yards while playing behind starter Trevor Shaw.
In 1991, Shaw was moved to an inside receiver's spot, opening the tight end spot for Pupunu. With quarterback Jamie Martin at the helm, Pupunu became his favorite target, catching a team- and Big Sky Conference-high 93 passes for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns, helping the Wildcats earn an 8-4 overall record and a berth in the NCAA I-AA playoffs. His 8.5 receptions per game led the NCAA Division I-AA ranks as well.
Pupunu left Weber State with 101 pass receptions for 1,291 yards and 12 touchdowns. His 93 catches is still a WSU single-season best. He shares the Weber State record for most receptions in a game with 15 vs. Idaho State. His 200 receiving yards vs. Idaho is the 10-best receiving yards game in school history.
For his efforts, Pupunu was named First Team NCAA Division I-AA All-American by the Associated Press, The Sports Network and the Walter Camp Foundation.
Pupunu was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1992, but ended up signing with the San Diego Chargers. He played 10 seasons in the NFL, with San Diego (1992-97, 1998-99), New York Giants (1997-98) and Detroit Lions (1999-2000). Pupunu started for the Chargers in the 1995 Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers.
Upon his retirement from the NFL, Pupunu completed his bachelor's degree in criminology from the University of Utah. He was an assistant football coach at Alta High School, and also worked as a youth mentor at Decker Lake Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. In 2004, he was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.
Alfred and his wife Mindi reside in Draper. They are the parents of daughters Miley and Brynnli and son Jade.