Troy Fautanu

Early life

Fautanu was born on October 11, 2000, in Henderson, Nevada. Coming out of high school, Fautanu was a three-star prospect and was rated as the 59th offensive tackle in the country. Fautanu committed to play college football for the Washington Huskies. Growing up, Fautanu was a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

College career

In Fautanu's first season in 2019 he redshirted and did not appear in any games. During the 2020 season, Fautanu appeared in four games. During the 2021 season, Fautanu would play in nine games, starting in three of them.

Fautanu had a breakout 2022 season, where he started all 13 games. In week three of the 2022 season versus Michigan State, Fautanu was named the Pac-12 offensive lineman of the week. For his performance in the season, Fautanu was named second-team all Pac-12.

In the 2023 season, he won the Morris Trophy as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12 and the Joe Moore Award as the top offensive line unit. He also earned first-team All Pac-12 honors this same season. Fautanu and the Huskies advanced to the National Championship, in which they lost to the Michigan Wolverines 34-13. Following the season, he declared for the 2024 NFL draft.

Personal life

Fautanu is a Christian. He has been in a relationship with Carys Zayda, a nursing student at Nevada State University, since August 2018. They got engaged in July 2026.

Fautanu developed an early connection to football through his admiration for Troy Polamalu, whose style of play and attitude toward the game shaped his understanding of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ identity. He described being inspired by the team’s gritty, hard-working culture and tried to incorporate those values into his own approach to football. Fautanu’s connection to the Steelers began when he was a child, long before joining the team. After years of admiring their culture from afar, he expressed excitement about becoming part of it and learning from the veteran players as he began his professional career.