After battling back from injury, LB Edefuan Ulofoshio is ready for a more significant role with Huskies

SEATTLE – There’s just something about Oregon State.

On Nov. 17, 2018, Edefuan Ulofoshio forced a fumble on the first play of his first career game, a 42-23 win over – you guessed it – Oregon State.

On Nov. 8, 2019, Ulofoshio – a 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker – came off the bench in a 19-7 win over the Beavers, compiling a team-high nine tackles and 1.5 sacks and earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. He made his first career start the following week.

In UW’s next two games against Oregon State – a 27-21 win in 2020 and a 27-24 loss in 2021 – Ulofoshio totaled 26 tackles, four passes defended and a fumble recovery.

The Anchorage, Alaska, native – who has contributed 147 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five passes defended, four sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 27 career games – missed the final six games last season with an undisclosed injury, only to tear his ACL in a drill last winter.

He sat out the first eight games this fall as well.

Guess what?

Bring on the Beavers.

“I did not know I was playing until the Tuesday of (game week),” Ulofoshio said Tuesday, after logging seven snaps in last weekend’s 24-21 win over Oregon State. “So at that point I was like, ‘Ooh. I need to call my parents and make sure they’re coming to the game.’ I called my mom and was like, ‘I know I told you not to come, but I need you to get your (plane) tickets right now.’ ”

While last Friday represented a finish line, it wasn’t easy to run the race. Ulofoshio credited his parents for providing “a safe haven” during an arduous rehab. He noted that “it was more mental than physical, because those (injuries) heal. But I hold grudges. So it was definitely tough. I just had a fantastic support group that kept me pushing.

“Because there was some days where it was just ugly.”

He had teammates, too, who had been there before.

“Jaxson (Kirkland) tore his ACL in high school, so he actually came the first weekend after I had surgery and we talked and I asked him for a whole bunch of advice about what it took,” Ulofoshio said. “I talked to (former UW tight end) Hunter Bryant about his knee surgeries, and he told me about yoga and staying flexible.

“I (dedicated myself) to drinking water, hydrating, getting some sleep. I personally like to wake up early in the morning and I don’t get a lot of sleep. So I had to eat the pill and sleep in.”

When he wasn’t sleeping, he was working. Co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach William Inge made sure of that.

“I didn’t really have a chance to zone out,” Ulofoshio said . “You’ve got a guy like coach Inge out there and he’s not going to let you stray too far away. All those meetings with (starting linebackers Cam Bright and Alphonzo Tuputala), always watching football … I did a little offseason study on NFL teams, just for the fun of it. I was graduating (last spring), so I kept myself busy most of the time.”

Now, he’s busy building. Inge said, “It’s unique when you get to this time of the year for someone and you’re in game 10, but it’s really week one for his body. So it’s really been almost like Navy SEAL training during the week to get his body level where it needs to be and get him caught up to midseason form.”

Which is why, presumably, Ulofoshio played just seven snaps against Oregon State, failing to record a tackle. But the former walk-on said Tuesday that “I was ready, man. There was no type of rust. It was crazy because during the bye week I didn’t even know I was going to play in that game, and Inge just threw me into the fire. I was like, ‘OK, I guess we’re going.’ From then on everything felt great.”

That includes the mental aspect. When asked if he’s still working to regain faith in his knee, Ulofoshio said: “It’s so interesting, because I really feel normal up until after the game. When I’m playing, that’s literally the last thing that’s on my mind. I honestly thought that was going to be the biggest obstacle.”

For No. 24 Washington (7-2), the biggest obstacle is No. 6 Oregon (8-1). And more specifically, it’s Oregon’s explosive offense – which ranks third in the nation in scoring (43.1 points per game), fifth in yards per carry (5.8) and 11th in rushing (231.2 yards per game). That attack is led by Auburn transfer quarterback Bo Nix – who has completed 73.3% of his passes and thrown for 2,495 yards with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions, while adding 13 rushing scores (most in the Pac-12).

Even if healthy and humming, a returning Ulofoshio will have his hands full.

“It was great having Eddy out there (against Oregon State),” UW coach Kalen DeBoer said. “He comes and gives me a big ol’ hug before every game all season long when he hasn’t been suited up. It was my time to give him a big one before the game on Friday, just because I know it’s been such a long time waiting. He’s kept such a positive attitude through all of this from the beginning. So I’m happy to see him out on the football field and I know he wants to make an even bigger impact this weekend.”

Granted, this game is not against Oregon State.

But for Ulofoshio, it’s close enough.

“I kind of thought it was ironic, to be honest,” Ulofoshio said of his OSU return. “There’s always something about Oregon State that I have great timing with. I definitely didn’t want my first game to be Oregon, because I knew the magnitude of it and if I had any nerves I didn’t want it to be against Oregon. But I always wanted to play them.

“I’ve played them on special teams, but this is my first real chance to go play them on defense. So it’ll be a lot of fun.”