The
stories passed down through the generations of Polynesians have been
through oral traditions and cultural practices. Whether it be
song, dance or genealogy chant, the ties between the past and present
have remained strong within the "many islands" — as is the
translation of Polynesia — binding dots of land spread out over 70.1
million square miles of the Pacific Ocean.
Football
was officially added to that connection with Wednesday's
announcement of
the inaugural Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013. Six
players and one coach will be inducted in conjunction with January's
Pro Bowl Week in Honolulu.
Selected
in the player category were Waianae High graduate Kurt Gouveia; Saint
Louis School products Olin Kreutz and the late Herman Wedemeyer;
Kevin Mawae; the late Junior Seau; and Jack Thompson. Former Radford
High and UH quarterback Ken Niumatalolo, the current head coach at
Navy, was selected in the coach/contributor category.
"It was a
very hard decision and it will only get harder and harder as more
eligible players retire," former University of Hawaii football
coach Dick Tomey, chair of the selection committee, said. "The hardest
thing may have been getting from that initial 200-plus down to 20.
Then we had a conference call to get it to six.
"All
those nominated were deserving to be in this class and there will
continue to be even more who are equally deserving. That's how
tough it will be to get into the hall of fame."
Among
those notably absent from the list were former UH and Farrington great
Jesse Sapolu, one of only six San Francisco 49ers to win four
Super Bowls, and former UH and Mililani defensive end Ma'a Tanuvasa, who
won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos.
As
co-founders of the hall of fame and members of the board of directors,
the two asked that they not be considered for induction this year,
Tomey said.
"They
wanted to have the focus on the hall of fame, not on themselves and the
potential of a conflict of interest," Tomey said. "That speaks
volumes about their character."
The
accomplishments of the seven inductees speaks volumes as well. The
number of all-pro and all-America awards is as impressive as the
off-field contributions to the Polynesian communities they represented.
"This is a
proud moment and historic day," Sapolu said during Wednesday's press
conference at the Sheraton Waikiki. "The board — June Jones, Vai
Sikahema, Troy Polamalu, Reno Mahe — have been discussing this during
our annual goodwill tours to Samoa. We wanted to recognize not
only the greatest players, coaches and contributors but also have it
serve as an inspiration for Polynesian youth to achieve their
dreams and goals.
"We see this as a vehicle that can bring our Polynesian community even closer."
Although a
committee in Utah has offered a permanent home for the hall of fame,
discussions are ongoing with the Polynesian Cultural Center to
establish it in Laie.
"We want
this to have a sense of place and Hawaii does that," Tanuvasa said.
"It's the stopover for those going to and from Samoa, Tahiti, Fiji
and other islands. And the (Polynesian Cultural Center) with its foot
traffic, the number of tourists from around the world who would
see it, would be a good place."
The inaugural
enshrinement ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2014, at the Hawaii Convention Center.
KURT GOUVEIA
Gouveia,
of Hawaiian ancestry, was named both the offensive and defensive player
of the year when playing two ways for the Waianae Seariders. He
went on win a national title with Brigham Young, and played 13 seasons
in the NFL, mostly with Washington, twice winning the Super Bowl
with the Redskins.
OLIN KREUTZ
Kreutz,
also of Hawaiian ancestry, was a consensus All-American center at the
University of Washington. He played for 14 seasons in the NFL,
mostly with the Chicago Bears, and was named to the NFL all-decade team
for the 2000s.
KEVIN MAWAE
Mawae,
another player of Hawaiian ancestry, was the first Polynesian to serve
as president of the NFL Players Association. The LSU sports hall
of fame and NFL all-pro center played 16 seasons in the NFL and also was
on the NFL all-decade team for the 2000s.
JUNIOR SEAU
Seau, a
two-time All-American linebacker for USC, played 20 seasons in the NFL,
mostly with the San Diego Chargers. Of Samoan ancestry, he was a
10-time all-pro selection, the Walter Payton Man of the Year award
winner in 1994, and named to the NFL's all-decade team for the
1990s. He died in 2012.
JACK THOMPSON
Thompson,
known as the "Throwin' Samoan" during his NCAA record-setting
quarterbacking career at Washington State, went on to play six
seasons in the NFL. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the
first round of the 1979 NFL Draft, third overall, which was
highest ever for a player of Polynesian descent.
HERMAN WEDEMEYER
Wedemeyer,
the "Flyin' Hawaiian" and consensus All-American halfback at St. Mary's
in the 1940s, was the first player of Polynesian descent to be
inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Of Hawaiian ancestry,
Wedemeyer played two seasons in the All-America Football
Conference — a short-lived pro league that rivaled the NFL — but later
gained fame as "Det. Duke Lukela" on the original "Hawaii Five-O"
series. He died in 1999.
KEN NIUMATALOLO
Niumatalolo,
a former UH quarterback, was the first person of Samoan ancestry to be
named a collegiate head football coach when he was hired by Navy
in 2007. He also was the first service academy coach to lead his team to
the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy in his first two seasons, doing
so with the Midshipmen in 2007 and 2008.
***
Pride and determination are often enough to get things done in a
hurry. When that doesn’t work, a swift kick in the okole can prove
beneficial.
That’s pretty much how the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame
got started.
