MOLI VIEW™

The NFL's first Polynesian — the Washington Redskins' Al Lolotai of Samoa — came to the league in 1945, and showed the world what Polynesians had to offer pro ball. Fast forward fifty odd years, and there are about 25 to 35 Polynesians on league rosters every year now. Most of them play defense due to their large, powerful but nimble frames, and their fearlessness when it comes to contact (or impact, perhaps better describes it). And in terms of Samoans, the figures are even more astounding: There are only a half million Samoans in the world, yet 200 Samoans play Division I college football. Every Pac-10 team has at least one Samoan, and it's been estimated that a Samoan boy is 40 times more likely to reach the NFL than a boy growing up in the continental United States.

Men in skirts. Hardly an image associated with American football, but it's commonplace in Polynesia where males wrap themselves in a swatch of Polynesian print fabric known to Westerners as a sarong. This is one of many cultural quirks that make the Polynesian players standout, and perhaps part of why Samoan and Tongan players tend to stick together once they land in some remote state. Even though Samoans and Tongans have long-standing rivalries, those differences fall to the wayside when they're isolated as the Polynesian minority in football.

Hawaiians have it a bit easier adjusting to life on the mainland, since Hawaii is very Americanized (much to the dismay of some tourists). But Samoan and Tongan kids who get recruited for football literally come from living in modern day grass shacks (little wooden shacks with iron roofs) on tropical islands where the way of life — including living with large extended families — has changed little over the past 200 years. A kid who gets to play pro football will often support a family so big, it is like supporting a village. Which is why the stakes are so high for these young athletes.

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