Anyone who has talked to me about pro football in a bar or at a party in the last year or so has heard this theory. Sometimes it's more eloquent than others. I hope today is one of the eloquent moments.
I think there is a solution for weak offensive lines in the NFL (the Niners come to mind here). Scouts need to get off the coasts and out of the midwest and look to the mountains.
There are a bunch of very large, graceful, fast linemen who have played in the MWC and WAC. They tend to be first or second generation Tongans, Samoans and Hawaiians and haven't had the breakout player to open up the lists. Haloti Ngata might be that man in a year or two.
Samoan Al Lolotai was the first Polynesian in the NFL in 1945, and there have been plenty of others since (one estimate I found was 25-35 Polynesians on rosters each year), but no one seems to have been given a chance to be convincing enough to open up the NFL for more of these young men.
Maybe since the PAC-10, especially Oregon, have found out how well these young men play things will change. One notable example is Oregon having poached Cottonwood High School standout Simi Fili away from Utah, BYU and several other schools.
There have to be some of these fantastic former Utes, Cougs, Rainbow Warriors... sitting on benches in the NFL, and they need to be used. And anyone who's been on the bench for their initial contract ought to be available for a reasonable wage as a free agent. So get with it NFL scouts - college or other pro teams, keep an eye on the Polynesian players.
As a Ute fan of 34 years (and I'm only 40) I know of which I speak.
Well...
10 years ago
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