Getty Talanoa Hufanga, 49ers safety
For the 49ers, third-year safety Talanoa Hufanga has gained a reputation for a couple of things. One, he’s a hard-hitting defensive back with a nose for the ball, earning an All-Pro selection last year, highlighted by four interceptions. Two, his Polynesian roots and lengthy locks have earned comparisons to Steelers legend Troy Polamalu, who has also been a mentor for him.
Now, we can add a third: He’s a pretty good trash talker.
On Sunday, Hufanga and Cardinals running back James Conner got into a scrap after the 49ers’ 35-16 drubbing of Arizona, with Conner (wisely still in his helmet) giving the unhelmeted Hufanga a whack to the face.
Wow: James Conner and Talanoa Hufanga got into a heated scuffle at the end of their game today…
Wonder what this was all about.
“Yeah, my man came up to me,” Hufanga told Jake Hutchinson of KNBR. “It’s all good, though. It’s all respect at the end of the day; it’s love for the game, but it wasn’t my thing. He just wanted to show me something.”
What did Conner want to show his opponent? Hufanga did not know. But he then threw some serious shade at Conner’s in-game performance, which saw him tally just 52 yards rushing, his worst outing of the season and well below his 88.7 yards-per-game average over the first three weeks of the season.
“He only ran for 52 yards, so I don’t know what he was really on, but told him we’ll see him next time again. Took the L today, but they’ll be good,” Hufanga said.
Hufanga Should Get His Due
Maybe Hufanga should do a little trash-talking. When it comes to the many assets the 49ers defense possesses in what has been a dominating first quarter-season for one of the NFL’s only two still-undefeated teams (Philadelphia is the other), Hufanga is often overlooked.
There is Nick Bosa, the highest-paid defender in NFL history, on the star-studded defensive line and there are Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, two of the 10 best linebackers in the game today. But the 49ers’ defensive backs get short shrift, especially Hufanga.
Before the start of the season, Pro Football Focus had Hufanga ranked as the No. 12 overall safety in the NFL, and wrote of him: “Hufanga has carved out a nice role as a Troy Polamalu-lite playmaker. … He takes gambles at times, but his 72.1 overall grade is very good for a first-year starter. He could easily be a top-10 player on this list a year from now.”
Hufanga’s 1st INT Drew Attention
Before his incident with Conner, Hufanga’s most notable moment this season came in Week 1, when he notched his first interception of the season on the Steelers’ Kenny Pickett. The pick came in the fourth quarter, with the 49ers up, 27-7, and 10 minutes to play in the game.
Hufanga ran for 35 yards before making the odd decision to lateral to Tashaun Gipson, despite only having a plodding offensive lineman in front of him. Gipson ran the ball inside the 10-yard line of Pittsburgh, but the play was called back because Hufanga’s “lateral” was ruled an illegal forward pass.
Kyle Shanahan was not a fan of Talanoa Hufanga’s lateral attempt after his interception 😂
After the game, coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the decision to lateral, and said, “Not great because he didn’t lateral it. I also thought the guy in front of him, he could have just ran around (him). He was faster than him.”