Oklahoma State University Athletics
Aso Pogi
April 19, 2003 | Cowboy Football
2001: Started all 11 regular-season games. He battled injuries through most of the season, but answered the bell each week. His 2001 numbers included 179-of-296 passes completed for 1,854 yards and 11 touchdowns.
2000: Started the season as the primary backup to starting quarterback Tony Lindsay. When shoulder surgery ended Lindsay’s college career mid-way through the 2000 season, Pogi got the call and responded in unbelievable fashion. His first college start came against high-flying Iowa State on Lewis Field. He finished that game with 26 completions out of 45 attempts for 328 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was the most yards ever thrown for by a freshman quarterback at Oklahoma State, and would be the first of back-to-back 300-yard passing games. The 328 yards against the Cyclones also represented the fourth-best single-game passing performance in OSU history, and Pogi would wait only a week to put his name back in the record book. The next week against Colorado in Boulder, Pogi completed 30-of-49 for 313 yards and two more touchdowns. That represented the seventh-best single-game passing performance in OSU history and the first time any OSU quarterback had thrown for 300 or more yards in back-to-back games. His top game, percentage-wise, that year came against Baylor in Waco when he completed 14-of-18 for 171 yards and a touchdown. For the season, Pogi passed for 1,550 yards and six touchdowns. He threw 11 interceptions and completed 56.3 percent of his passes. His passing total represented the eighth-best single-season performance in OSU history and the most ever by a freshman. His passing numbers ranked ninth in the Big 12 and his total offense average of 170.9 yards per game was also ninth in the league. 1999: His redshirt season at OSU.
High School: Came out of Lawton High School, where he helped lead his team to the district championship and Class 6A semifinals. For the season, he completed 113-of-206 passes for 2,072 yards and 27 touchdowns. He earned All-State honors from the Oklahoma Coaches Association and the Tulsa World. The Daily Oklahoman labeled him a Blue Chip prospect. Pogi chose Oklahoma State over SMU, Tulsa and Colorado State. He was also a standout on the basketball court.
Personal: Born Oct. 6, 1980. Son of Fia Pogi Tupua. He has four brothers, Junior, Howard, Tuiak and William, and three sisters, Kanesa, Christine and Fuatino. His hobbies include reading the Bible and speaking about his faith, and his contemplated major is business administration.
