October 18, 2016

Junior Ah You inducted in the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame unveiled its Class of 2017 today. Five Inductees were selected from a list of 18 Finalists.

This year’s inductees include Junior Ah You* (Samoan ancestry), Riki Ellison (Māori Ancestry), Chris Naeole (Hawaiian ancestry), Ma’a Tanuvasa (Samoan ancestry) as player inductees and John Manumaleuna (Samoan ancestry) as a contributor.

The Class of 2017 has won five Super Bowls, two Grey Cups and a College Football National Championship,” said Jesse Sapolu, Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Co-Founder and Chairman. “They represent the very best of our Polynesian people.

The Inductees were chosen by a selection committee composed of past head football coaches Dick Tomey (Chairman), LaVell Edwards, Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil, ESPN SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett, NFL player personnel expert Gil Brandt, past NFLPA president Kevin Mawae (Polynesian Football HOF Inaugural Inductee) and Hawai’i sportscaster Robert Kekaula.

On behalf of the Selection Committee, I congratulate this outstanding Class,” said Dick Tomey, Selection Committee Chairman. “Their accomplishments on and off the field are truly worthy of this recognition.

Among the finalists, is former Alouettes‘ Defensive End, Junior Ah You. Peter Dalla Riva had kind words to say about him.

“I played 10 years with Junior and he was a great teammate on and off the field. He was a heck of an athlete, he was quick. For a guy his size, he was really strong and he was really quick and everyone had to pay attention to him when he was playing. People thought he was really big but he wasn’t, he was so agile and so quick, he was like a cat and everyone had to pay attention to him. They had to double team him and when we played against teams they knew where Junior was, they had to account for him. He was just a great teammate, a great family man and a great ball player. I really can’t say enough about him, I wish him all the luck. He deserves all the accolades he gets, you can’t get a better teammate than Junior”.

Inductees will also be recognized at the inaugural Polynesian Bowl, a premier senior high school all-star football game featuring the world’s elite players of Polynesian heritage and other ancestries. For more information about the game, visit www.PolynesianBowl.com.

*JUNIOR AH YOU (Player) … Samoan Ancestry … Defensive Line … Arizona State University … 3x All-WAC Selection … Selected by Patriots in the 17th Round, 425th player overall (1972 NFL Draft) … 13 Seasons … Montreal Alouettes (1972–81) … Chicago Blitz (1983) … New Orleans Breakers (1984) … Arizona Outlaws (1985) … 2x CFL All-Star (1976, 1979) … 2x Grey Cup Champion (1974, 1977) … Grey Cup MVP (1974) … Arizona State Athletics and Canadian Football League Hall of Fame Inductee …Born December 30, 1948 in Sale Miu, American Samoa.