With the recent influx of Samoan born players to the NFL there are dozens of young football stars for Samoan children to look up to. As a result, the game has skyrocketed in popular among the youth of Samoa as they aspire to be like their NFL heroes. As part of a recent summer sports program, youths age 5 to 13 will be able to take their first steps towards a longer football career with a summer flag football tournament being staged by the Samoan government in July. The tournament is part of a much larger youth summer sports program being put on by the Samoan government this summer. The...
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He is known mostly for his hair. In the United States Troy Polamalu has recently done a series of commercials for the shampoo Head and Shoulders, focusing on his flowing Polynesian mane that has become his signature on the field. That mane has become a lasting image of the Pittsburgh Steelers as Polamalu has led the fame NFL squad to a pair of Super Bowl victories in the last five seasons. He is more than hair though. He is also an excellent football player that wants to give back to his Samoan roots by helping others to follow in his footsteps. His extremely successful seven year NFL career...
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It is no secret that American college love Samoan football players for their size and strength. The islands have been a recent hotbed of recruiting activity as teams look to add quality players  to their rosters before fall camp starts. The University of Hawaii has often been a leading recruiter of Samoan talent simply because of its relative proximity to Samoa. That remained true this past week when assistant coach Tony Tuioti visited Samoa on the first of two recruiting trips he has lined up this offseason. Tuioti is in his first year as the defensive line coach at his alma mater, but he...
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Aaron Kia became the latest Samoan-American football prospect to make it to the NFL. The former University of Hawaii offensive tackle recently signed a contract with the New York Jets. Impressively, he signed his contract with the Jets despite going undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft held last month in New York. Kia was a standout at the University of Hawaii for four years after graduating from Mililani High School on Oahu in 2005. He was named to the Western Athletic Conference’s all-Academic team in three of his four playing years. Over his final two seasons he started 24 consecutive games...
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Shannon Stowers was not a superstar on the gridiron, but he is currently looking for superstars. Stowers is a former Polynesian American football player who spent two years playing the game at Utah State University. Now that his playing career is over short of the NFL he is hoping to help other Polynesian football players achieve their dreams. Stowers is now a scout trying to find the biggest and best Polynesian rugby players. His job is a tricky one. He must convince them to switch over and try their hand at American football instead of rugby. The opportunities are clearly there as well. The...
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Associated Press JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Defensive tackle Tyson Alualu of Cal probably won’t help the Jacksonville Jaguars sell a single season ticket. Even his family and friends are seemingly too far away to boost attendance. He could increase the team’s pathetic pass rush, though, and that’s all the Jaguars say they really care about. CLICK ON IMAGE TO THE RIGHT FOR ENHANCED VERSION Jacksonville selected Alualu with the 10th pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, a surprising move for a franchise that desperately needs someone to bolster sagging ticket...
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But Harrington also notes, “Many Samoans are now moving up through scholastic scholarships—in law, history, accounting and political science.” If the past were the only guide to the future, it might be safe to assume that as more and more immigrant Samoans go into the professions or business, the domestic pool of athletic talent will shrink. Consequently, college and professional scouts who are just awakening to the potential of Samoan high school players are likely to be taking even longer trips in the future—to Pago Pago itself. A lot will depend on the performance of the...
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“My father is half Chinese,” Junior said recently. “My mother is pure Samoan.” Does that make Junior one-fourth Chinese? No, sir! “That makes me all Samoan!” Junior declares, proudly and loudly. Junior Ah You asserted his racial heritage throughout his career at Arizona State—he was an All-WAC defensive end for three straight years—and he has been declaring it in Montreal ever since he graduated and signed with the Alouettes of the CFL. The notice Samoans are now getting in the West may help Junior Ah You gain belated ethnic recognition; and it...
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The 2010 NFL Draft will be a three day event: Rd. 1: Thurs., April 22, 7:30 p.m. ET Rds. 2-3: Fri., April 23, 6 ET Rds. 4-7: Sat., April 24, 10 a.m. ET @ Radio City Music Hall, New York This year’s draft will feature numerous Polynesian athletes we are to be proud of!  Please visit our friend Jodatoa’s Blog site for information regarding the draft hopefuls this year.  It’s a packed company of talented players and we’re excited for all of...
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In the ’20s and ’30s, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant football fans were stunned by the emergence of a generation of players whose antecedents were mysterious and whose names—Nagurski, Wojcie-chowicz, Oosterbaan, Skladany—when they first appeared in newspaper headlines, seemed to be the products of a berserk compositor. Nothing quite like it has happened since (the black boom in the college game was cushioned by familiar names—Buddy Young, Jim Brown, Lenny Moore). But this fall a comparable cultural shock could be in the making. What is coming on is a swarm of Polynesian...
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