LAIE, Hawaii — You will be impressed by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ history with Polynesian players. The apparent player that first pops into anyone’s mind is Troy Polamalu. However, current players such as Jaylen Warren, Isaac Seumalo, Troy Fautanu, Breiden Fehoko, and others carry that torch. Since I’m on an excursion in Hawaii, I stopped over at the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, and maybe more than just about any other team, the Steelers’ stamp is all over this place.
Located outside the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii, the Hall of Fame honors the heritage of Polynesians across the NFL and football history. It hosts an annual all-star game in Honolulu known as the Polynesian Bowl. Across a corner of the room, you can see past rosters of players. It includes stars in the NFL now and current Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson, who played in the 2020 iteration of the game.
Getting into the heart of the Hall of Fame, plaques adorn the back wall of the 44 inductees in these halls. Among them are two Steelers, Polamalu and Kimo von Oelhoffen. Other noticeable names that you will run across include Kevin Mawae, Olin Kruetz, Junior Seau, Haloti Ngata, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Manti Te’o, and multiple other notable names.
There’s plenty more Steelers-related jargon in here. For one, every Polynesian Player of the Year gets honored with a plaque. The Steelers had JuJu Smith-Schuster win in the not-so-distant past in 2018. In addition to that, the Polynesian Bowl’s MVP, Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, and other stunning memorabilia adorn the walls. For example, there’s this display from current Chargers edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, who played at USC. Or the showcase from 2023 MVP Nico Iamaleava, who now plays at the University of Tennessee.
Te’o’s jerseys from the NFL and his time at Notre Dame hang over these walls. So does Ngata’s recognizable Purple No. 92, which he terrorized Ben Roethlisberger in for years in the Steelers-Ravens rivalry.
There is an entire section dedicated to the late Junior Seau. It includes a wall in his memory, an assortment of jerseys, and a dedication to his playing days from his time at USC to his peak years with the Chargers.
The last but noteworthy Steelers-related item in the Polynesian Hall of Fame is the dedication to those who have donated. Current NFL players like DeForest Buckner and others sit in the ‘Diamond Tier,’ the highest of them all. But Troy Polamalu and his wife, Theodora, sit there, too, along with JuJu Smith-Schuster.
This place has a rich football history and celebrates the culture of Polynesian players. Football is an integral part of the culture, just on the islands of Hawaii. Isaac Seumalo compared it to the Texas culture around high school football, and the Hall of Fame, in particular, contributes to the culture and heritage of football in the community.
“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. “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.”
The Steelers have a robust Polynesian connection throughout their locker room and history; a little bit of it is shown in the Hall of Fame.