Polynesian Football Legends Inducted into Hall of Fame at Polynesian Cultural Center

LAIE, Hawaii, Jan. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Polynesian Cultural Center honored the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame class of 2019 inductees with a cultural-based Enshrinement Ceremony before family, friends and fans.

The Enshrinement Ceremony festivities featured a presentation of diverse cultural traditions including the sound of the pu (triton conch shell) and multi-cultural dance performance. In addition, the warriors representing the Center's six island villages – Hawaii, Samoa, Aotearoa, Tahiti, Tonga, and Fiji – welcomed the honorees and guests.

Player inductees:

Joe Fagaone Salavea (Samoan ancestry)

• A defensive tackle, Salavea played for the Houston Oilers, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins. Salavea is currently the defensive line coach and associate head coach for the University of Oregon.

Raymond Daniel Saleaumua (Samoan ancestry)

• Drafted by the Detroit Lions as a defensive tackle, Saleaumua earned All-Pro (1990) and Pro Bowl (1995) honors. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he still holds the record for fumble recoveries, and for the Seattle Seahawks.

Mosiula Meaalofa "Lofa" Tatupu (Samoan ancestry)

• A first team All-American selection with the University of Southern California, Tatupu played six seasons for the Seattle Seahawks where he was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2007, was named to three Pro Bowls, and was selected to the Seahawks 35th Anniversary Team. His father, the late Mosi Tatupu, was inducted in the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame class of 2015.

Marques Tavita Tuiasosopo (Samoan ancestry)

• The Pac-12 Player of the Year as a quarterback for the University of Washington in 2000, Tuiasosopo was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2001 Rose Bowl. He played eight seasons in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders New York Jets. His father, Manu Tuiasosopo, was inducted in the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame class of 2018.

2018 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year

Tuanigamanuolepola "Tua" Tagovailoa (Samoan ancestry)

• A graduate of Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Tagovailoa came off the bench as a freshman after the first half of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game to lead the Alabama Crimson Tide to a dramatic come-from-behind overtime victory against Georgia. This past season, Tagovailoa led Alabama to a 14-1 record while throwing for 43 touchdowns and nearly 4,000 records. Tagovailoa earned numerous national honors, being named a consensus All-American, the Sporting News Player of the Year, and winner of the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award.

2018 Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year

JuJu Smith-Schuster (Samoan ancestry)

• Smith-Schuster earned this award for the second straight year through his outstanding play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Only 22 years old, he has already established himself as one of the NFL's top receivers. In 2018, Smith-Schuster caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns, and had eight 100-year receiving games.

2018 Kupono Award for Excellence

John Christian Kaiminoeauloamekaikeokekumupaa "Kaimi" Fairbairn (Hawaiian ancestry)

• A graduate of Punahou School in Honolulu, Fairbairn has played two seasons for the Houston Texans and led the NFL in field goals made (37) during the 2018 season. In week 15 of the season, he was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. An All-American with the UCLA Bruins, he was the school's first player to score at least 100 points in all four seasons.

"On behalf of our Board of Directors, we congratulate the Class of 2019," said Jesse Sapolu, chairman, co-founder and inductee of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, "Their accomplishments on and off the field make each of them truly worthy of this recognition."

"The Polynesian Cultural Center is proud to be the home of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame," said Alfred Grace, president of the Polynesian Cultural Center, "These players have become a huge inspiration and each of them showcase the great pride of Polynesia."

As a tribute to Polynesia's greatest football players, coaches and contributors, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame exhibit at the Polynesian Cultural Center showcases the achievements of the six classes and 32 inductees with plaques, photos, mementos, interactive displays and more. The Polynesian College Football Player of the Year and Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year are also honored in the exhibit.

In a collaboration between the Polynesian Cultural Center and Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, the exhibit serves as a permanent resource to preserve and promote Polynesian Football history. As a non-profit organization, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame provides college scholarships designated for student-athletes of Polynesian ancestry to be awarded to the alma mater of each inductee, helping to promote educational programs focusing on character and teamwork for youth within the Polynesian community and other initiatives positively benefiting Polynesian culture and heritage. To support these efforts, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame donated a total of 100 Enshrinement Ceremony tickets to local high school football teams.

The Hall of Fame exhibit is located in the Polynesian Cultural Center's guest orientation area adjacent to the Hukilau Marketplace. Admission is free and open to the public during regular operational hours.

For more information about the Polynesian Cultural Center, visit Polynesia.com or call (808) 293-3333. For more information about the PHFOF, visit PolynesianFootballHOF.org.

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ABOUT POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER
Located on Oahu's beautiful North Shore, the Polynesian Cultural Center is the only cultural tourist attraction of its kind in the world and a favorite of all visitors to Hawaii. An engaging, interactive celebration showcasing the people, culture, arts and crafts of Polynesia, the Center has entertained millions of visitors from around the world since opening in 1963. A non-profit organization, 100 percent of the Center's revenue goes to daily operations and to support the education of its student-employees from neighboring Brigham Young University-Hawaii. For more information, visit http://www.Polynesia.com.

ABOUT POLYNESIAN FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame honors Polynesia's greatest players, coaches and contributors. It also serves as a resource for Polynesian football history, provides academic scholarships and supports educational programs for Polynesian youth. Its permanent home is located at the Polynesian Cultural Center (Lā'ie on Oahu's North Shore) and was established in 2013 by Super Bowl Champions Jesse Sapolu and Maa Tanuvasa. Other board members include Troy Polamalu, Vai Sikahema, June Jones and Reno Mahe. For more information, visit http://www.PolynesianFootballHOF.org.

SOURCE Polynesian Cultural Center