Former Steelers OL Inducted into Polynesian Football Hall of Fame
Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman and two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Kemoeatu has been named to the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025, the organization announced on Wednesday.
Kemoeatu was a sixth-round pick of the Steelers in the 2005 NFL Draft, Kemoeatu played all six of his NFL seasons in Pittsburgh. He was a reserve on the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL team as a rookie in 2005. He became a starter for the first time in 2008, as the Steelers went on another Super Bowl run. He played all three postseason games that year, including a start in Super Bowl XLIII.
He remained the team’s starting left guard until 2011, when knee injuries slowed him significantly. He was released in March 2012.
A native of Kahuku, Hawaii, Kemoeatu is of Tongan descent. He played for Kahuku High School and Utah before joining the Steelers. His older brothers Ma’ake and Tevita also played at Utah, as defensive linemen. Ma’ake Kemoeatu had an 11-year NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins.
In addition to Kemoeatu, current BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Jim Nicholson will be enshrined in a ceremony on Jan. 19, 2025.
“On behalf of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, it is our great honor to recognize and celebrate the Class of 2025,” chairman Jesse Sapolu said in a press release. “These men embody the spirit of Polynesia and have left an enduring mark on the game of football.”
Established in 2013, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame is in Laie, Hawaii. Former Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, a 2016 inductee, is a member the hall’s board. Former Steelers defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen was enshrined in 2018.
Multiple current Steelers could eventually be eligible, including guard Isaac Seumalo and running back Jaylen Warren.
“You name any NFL team and there’s a famous guy with long hair that people find out later are Samoan, Tongan, or something,” Seuamlo said to Steelers Now in June. “I think if, I just know, when I walk out there, the last name of my back means a lot more than just me. And I remember during the Super Bowl with the Eagles that people were telling me that people in the village that my family was originally from were wearing Eagles No. 56 jerseys. That’s incredible to me.”
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