Marte Mapu Bio
Marte-Myles Mapu (born November 8, 1999) is an American professional football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He is listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 230 pounds, and he currently plays for the Houston Texans, wearing jersey number 14. Mapu attended Sacramento State, where he emerged as one of the top defensive players in the Big Sky Conference before being selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Early Life and Background
Marte Mapu was born on November 8, 1999, in Hawthorne, California. He grew up in the same South Bay community that produced several notable professional athletes, and he is of American Samoan descent. The area’s strong football culture gave him early and frequent exposure to the sport.
Mapu attended Hawthorne High School, where he played quarterback and wide receiver on the football team. Playing on offense during his high school years helped him develop a clear understanding of route concepts, passing windows, and the timing of offensive plays. Those experiences later influenced how he diagnosed plays as a defensive player.
Path to American Football
After high school, Mapu joined the Sacramento State Hornets, where he transitioned from the offensive side of the ball to the defensive side. He redshirted his true freshman season, preserving a year of eligibility while he developed physically and learned the Hornets’ defensive schemes. The move from skill position to linebacker required him to retool his body and his mindset.
Mapu’s redshirt junior season in 2020 was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted rosters and training across college football. As a redshirt senior in 2021, he was named second-team All-Big Sky Conference, a strong indicator of his growing impact. He then used the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes during the pandemic and returned for a sixth season in 2022.
Marte Mapu Career
Early Career (2017–2022)
Mapu’s college development at Sacramento State unfolded across six seasons from 2017 through 2022. After redshirting his first year and losing the 2020 season to the pandemic, he steadily earned larger roles in the Hornets’ defense. By his final seasons, he had become a central figure on the unit.
In 2021, Mapu earned second-team All-Big Sky honors. The following season, in 2022, he was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year and selected as a first-team All-Big Sky performer. Those awards marked him as one of the premier defensive players at the FCS level and set the stage for his entry into the NFL.
New England Patriots Breakthrough (2023–2025)
Mapu was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round, 76th overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft. He entered the league as a developmental linebacker with the size and coverage skills to match up against tight ends and running backs in space. His role with the Patriots grew during his first two seasons.
During the 2023 season, Mapu recorded his first career interception in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs, picking off a pass from Patrick Mahomes. The play announced his arrival as a playmaker in the passing game. In 2024, however, he was placed on injured reserve on August 27 to begin the season, and he was activated on October 5 after recovering from his injury.
In 2025, Mapu recorded 25 total tackles, including 18 solo stops, along with one forced fumble and one interception. His usage in coverage and on special teams helped him establish a role in New England’s defensive rotation.
Houston Texans Era (2026–Present)
On April 7, 2026, Mapu was traded to the Houston Texans along with a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick. The move gave him an opportunity to compete for a larger role on a new defense. He joined the Texans as an active member of the linebacker group.
Notable Events and Milestones
Mapu’s first career interception against Patrick Mahomes in Week 15 of the 2023 season remains one of the signature moments of his early NFL career. Drafted in the third round, he joined a small group of Sacramento State players selected in the NFL Draft in recent years, representing the program’s reach at the professional level.
Marte Mapu Career Wins
Marte Mapu’s career achievements are measured primarily through postseason honors and individual statistical production rather than championship victories. He has earned Big Sky Conference recognition, NFL Draft selection, and consistent playing time across multiple regular seasons.
Big Sky Conference Highlights
Mapu was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and earned first-team All-Big Sky honors in the same season. The previous year, in 2021, he was selected to the second-team All-Big Sky. Those awards reflect his development into one of the top defensive players in the conference during his final two college seasons.
Marte Mapu Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Mapu is of American Samoan descent, a heritage shared with a large number of NFL players and one tied to a strong tradition of football participation across multiple levels of the sport.
Personal Life
Mapu was born and raised in Hawthorne, California, where he attended Hawthorne High School before enrolling at Sacramento State. He is an American professional football player whose personal life has remained largely outside the public spotlight.
2025 Season Performance
In the 2025 season with the New England Patriots, Mapu posted 25 total tackles, 18 of them solo, along with one forced fumble and one interception. His production came in a rotational role, and he contributed on both defense and special teams throughout the year.
Mapu remained an active member of the Patriots’ linebacker group through the season, recovering from the injury that had cost him the start of 2024. His interception and forced fumble highlighted his ability to impact the passing game and create turnovers when given opportunities.
Following the 2025 season, Mapu was traded to the Houston Texans in April 2026, beginning a new chapter of his career. Heading into the 2026 season, he is expected to compete for a larger defensive role with his new team.
