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AFC
wins over NFC in Pro Bowl, Honolulu |
| Pro
Bowl 2007 - Hawaii Troy Palamalu to play for the AFC (Strong Safety - Defense) and Lofa Tatupu starts for the NFC (Inside Linebacker - Defense) in the Pro Bowl in Honolulu ...see more |
| Pro
Bowl 2007 - Hawaii Troy Palamalu was voted amongst the NFL top ten Defensive player voted for the upcoming Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu this weekend ....see more |
| Superbowl
XL1 American Samoan Gabe Reid (Leone High School, BYU) played Tight End #82 Chicago Bears. See more about NFL Teams and the game at the official NFL website: www.nfl.com Pacific Islanders, especially Samoans, have been very succesful and popular in American Football throughout the years , and we will be highlighting present and past players from now on. |
| Wanted:
More Polynesian players in the NFL By
Albert Ainuu As the NFL Combine continues in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the various NFL teams have coaches and experts evaluating the young college graduates and draft eligible contenders during a two week trial of individual speed, stamina, strength, skill and personality, there is definitely a shortage of Polynesians competing in this most important athletic trial. From this meet, which is by invitation only, most of the top draftees in the upcoming NFL draft are determined. It is where the wheat is separated from the tares if one should select a biblical reference, but it is definitely where you want to be if you have any hopes of making an impact in the draft, preferably as a top 3 rounds choice. In the past the combine has been where several Polynesians had made their mark. Most recently, last year was the year most experts came away from the combine in awe of Oregon Defensive Lineman, Haloti Ngata, who eventually was taken by the Baltimore Ravens as their number one pick of the draft. He was a monster in terms of his strength and size, being well over 310 lbs and standing over 6 foot 3 inches, yet it was his speed, quickness and flexibility that caught most evaluator's offguard for a man that size. Baltimore went on to become the number one defense in the NFL last year, their best year as a defense since they won the Superbowl. That was an amazing feat considering they had just jettisoned many members of their defensive front and were relying on new faces such as Haloti to come in and play immediately. Much of their success can be attributed to Haloti's quickness and aggressiveness in the middle of the Raven's 4-3 defensive alignment. He was able to take on experienced linemen and dominate them allowing the Baltimore linebackers to fill the holes and prevent runners from making any significant gains. In past years Polynesians have set records in the Combine such as the record set by University of Hawaii Defensive lineman Isaac Sopoaga who set the record for the most reps in weight lifting within a set time period. It is said he equaled the record way before the time had expired and then pushed up one more to break the record and stopped even though it was obvious to all present that he was not tired. But such is the nature of our people. There are those who follow their own music and would rather not over exert themselves for self endorsement. However, when the rosters of the NFL are settled by the spring (April) there will still be a marked shortage of Polynesian players in comparison to those who should be playing in the NFL. Where are all these young warriors? As witnessed by the throngs at Petco Park in San Diego 2 weeks ago, there is misconception here that Polynesians are only big and strong. The top teams in sevens rugby were manned by Polynesians. They were the fastest and most confident players on the field. Granted there is more to rugby than sevens, but for those watching it was a revelation that these athletes were not only big, they were fast! I can imagine any of the Fijians playing for their Sevens team competing in the NFL Combine and causing an uproar as they record their times for the 40 yard dash. NFL Coaches would probably freak out if they could see how quick the Samoans or Kiwis were. Just imagine their brain cells exploding from sheer ecstacy as they configure their next defensive strategy using Polynesians as Safeties or Corner backs utilizing their speed to shut down wide receivers or their ferocity to decleat a running back foolish enough to venture into their territory. Or how would they handle a Fijian Tight end standing 6 foot seven inches with moves of a running back once he has the ball and only 2 defenders to juke on his way to a score? Do they understand how hard a Tongan hits without pads when playing Rugby? Just imagine them roaming like predators in the defensive backfield making hits that would separate runners from the ball and their senses, simultaneously. "Lights out" is just a new term in American sports but it has been a common feature in Samoan Rugby since they put down the nifo oti and exchanged war for sport. It is not a surprise that Troy Polamalu has been identified as the prototype of the new defensive back in the NFL. He is considered a hybrid, a fearless hitter who can stop a running back for a loss on one play and run step for step with a wide receiver on the very next play. Both he and Lofa Tatupu are similar in that they are both run stoppers and cover guys. What this has allowed their teams to do is not change personnel during a game. Whether they are facing a run or a pass they are able to defense them with the same players and there are no mismatches. So a wide receiver being covered by Lofa, a linebacker with the Seattle Seahawks has to be concerned about the hit he is about to receive if he tries to catch the ball and that can cause many a wide receiver to look before catching the ball and thus drop a pass. Likewise a running back coming up through the hole must get a shock when he finds a safety like Troy, who is built like a linebacker, coming full speed to deliver a knock-out hit. It is these special advantages that Coaches love to manipulate and these are what Polynesians can bring to the table, if they get the opportunity. But most of our talented athletes are not able to market themselves in the USA. Many have found great opportunity in Rugby and Rugby League in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Japan. This is admirable and extremely profitable for our men, but they need to seek for the golden fleece which is the NFL. The NFL pays better and has great opportunities to create media awareness for our region. The problem that is apparent is that the youth of Polynesia are not as exposed to American football as they are to Rugby and herein lies the issue that must be dealt with if we are to overcome this disconnect between our talent and the NFL Combine or other opportunities for participation in this very wealthy sport. To be continued...... |
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