San Jose State defensive end Junior Fehoko prepares to tackle a University of Wyoming ball carrier at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming on Nov. 3, 2018 (RJ Garcia/ SJSU Athletics)
By Ricardo Garcia (@SJSURicardoG) — Reporter
440. That is the number of athletes who identified as Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders across all of Division I football for the 2021 season, according to the NCAA.
To break it down even further, they accounted for only 1.5% of the total racial demographic for all Division I football.
Although this number may seem minuscule, the impact and value that these players bring to the game of football speak louder than any statistic on a graph ever could.
These individuals have an amazing ability to consistently stand out and make their presence known every time they step on the field.
Some prominent figures to come from this demographic are NFL stars Troy Polamalu, Haloti Ngata, and Mike Iupati to name a few.
The extremely physical and athletically demanding nature of football is one aspect of the game that separates good players from outstanding players. Often, it is the guys that are willing to put their bodies on the line to make a play that leave their mark on the game.
Junior defensive linemen Noah Lavulo is no stranger to getting his hands dirty in the trenches, as he racked up 22.5 tackles for loss in two seasons at the College of San Mateo before transferring to SJSU for the upcoming season.
Lavulo touched on why he believes Polynesian players prosper in football.
“I think it’s more of the physical aspect because there’s a lot of us that are given good size and a good build for football,” said Lavulo. “There’s just something about being able to tackle another man to the ground that just fuels us”.
Although having that physical advantage on the field goes a long way, family is one area of Polynesian culture that fuels them on the field.
Within the Polynesian culture, sports and family go hand in hand because it’s an opportunity for the younger generations to follow in the footsteps of those who did it before them. Perhaps the greatest honor is being able to represent their family through the work they do on the field.
This was the case for senior defensive end Junior Fehoko, who drew inspiration from watching his older brother play.
“My older brother was pretty good on the football field and people would say he would play insane with no brain,” Fehoko said. “So every time I touch the field it’s time to go insane with no brain just like my brother”.
Fehoko also spoke about what he uses as motivation to help push him to be better.
“My past is my biggest drive because I’ve been through everything with my family, so they always touch my mind on the field,” Fehoko said. “However, the people that are right next to me on the field, we go through things together, so I consider them a second family as well.”
Despite strong bloodlines and deep family history making a compelling case for why these players push themselves as hard as they do, there is one other thing that contributes to this drive.
For some individuals, the passion to give it 110% every snap comes from simply having the opportunity to play football at a collegiate level. Being able to leave behind a tough life to pursue a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is what sparks that killer instinct.
San Jose State defensive line coach Joe Seumalo explained how times have changed since based on his own experiences, as well as the significance of playing college ball.
“In all honesty, I think it’s the fact that we all grew up with nothing,” Seumalo said. “For us that live here in the United States, it’s a watered-down version of what it’s really like, cause in Samoa we truly have nothing.”
“Football has always been the vehicle that gets you to college and if you look at kids that come from Samoa, that’s a big deal. It’s a huge deal,” said Seumalo. “It’s a way for us to get an education and make our parents proud.”
It seems like there are multiple factors that all tie together to serve as motivation for Polynesian players. Whether it is following in the footsteps of an older brother or a chance at a better life, no opportunity will go unwasted.
