Idaho and their poly obsession..
<H1 =singlePageTitle>Polynesia Comes to Moscow Idaho?</H1>By
Ed Coghlan on Apr 11 2011
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Jonah Sataraka Idaho's Graduating Defensive Captain Says Polynesian Players Are Welcome at Idaho
At the University of Idaho, they call it the Polynesian connection. 16 of the players expected to suit up for the Idaho Vandals football team this fall will be of Polynesian descent.
How did so many young Polynesian men wind up in lily-white Moscow, Idaho?
"It's fair to say that the University of Idaho wasn't on my map when I was in high school,"Â said Jonah Sataraka, who was the defensive captain for the last two Vandal teams and will graduate this spring.
If you think about it, you would wonder how did this young man from Rogers High School in Puyallup, Washington wind up in Moscow. When he came on his recruiting trip, he felt like it was the right place to be.
That's not by accident.
A family friendly and supportive environment is particularly important to young men and women of Polynesian descent.
The Director of the Vandal Academic Support Services knows this well.
Ana Tuiaea-Ruud is herself a former student athlete and is of Samoan descent. Her role at the University is a key reason that the culture at the University of Idaho is so welcoming.
"Lots of these young men are first generation college students. We make sure that they use the study hall, tutoring and other support services that are available to student athletes. When they and their families realize that they will have a good chance to graduate, they see their futures as Vandals more clearly,"Â she said.
Sataraka agrees.
"It feels great here and it feels like family,"Â he said.
Tuiaea-Ruud gives credit to Vandal head football coach Robb Akey for letting this positive environment blossom at Idaho. Akey's staff boasts assistant coaches of Polynesian descent. Tight ends coach Al Pupunu knows how to succeed in both college and the NFL. He was a tight end in the league for 9 seasons, most of which were spent with the San Diego Chargers. Defensive line coach Eti Ena lends his perspective to why Idaho's Polynesian connection is growing.
"Culturally, family and hard work are very important to us. Coach Akey has built a great sense of family around this program which is important to all of us. These young men feel and they respond positively,"Â said Coach Ena.
Athletic Director Rob Spear oversees the improving Vandal athletic program and is particularly proud of all the hard work that has gone into making the Moscow, Idaho campus a popular destination for the Polynesian athlete.
"Creating an atmosphere of family is what sets us apart from other athletic programs and given the family values of the Polynesian community, we offer what is important to them. We also have a great support mechanism to assist them in becoming the best student and athlete they can be. I am very proud of their continued academic and athletic success,"Â emphasized Spear.
And, Spear like many others point to the best player Idaho has produced in recent years as a source of inspiration to the Polynesian players. Mike Iupati was a dominant
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Mike Iutapi, Budding NFL Star Is a Role Model for Polynesian Players at Idaho.
college player at Idaho and was a lst round draft choice of the NFL San Francisco 49ers in 2010 and last season was named to the All Rookie team.
But for Iupati, it wasn't just football.. Despite knowing that his future was very bright in football, he made sure that he earned his college degree.
"Even though I knew I would get drafted I also know that the NFL will not last forever. I needed a backup plan. My career could be over at any moment, but I will always have my degree with me. My parents brought my family here to the U.S. to get an education, not for football. I wanted to make my parents proud and get my degree to give myself more opportunities,"Â said Iupati.
Ana-Tuiaea-Ruud said that Iupati's decision to finish his studies helps other players stay and graduate.
"They increasingly see the University of Idaho as a great place where they can succeed,"Â she said.
She must believe it. Her own cousin from Long Beach, California has enrolled in spring this spring and is a member of the football team.
Like his former teammate Mike Iupati, Jonah Sataraka is hoping an NFL career awaits. He's working hard hoping to gain the attention of NFL scouts as a late round pick in this month's draft or to sign a free agent contract. But he remembers when he was an incoming freshman. He wasn't the student or the leader that he is today.
"I came here out of high school. I wasn't a very good student and was pretty uncertain. But the support I received as a student, as an athlete and as a person was wonderful. My first academic advisor was a Samoan who kept checking in to making sure I was doing the work. Now I am going to graduate which makes me and my family very proud and very happy,"Â Sataraka said.
He said that the tradition continues. The veteran players talk with recruits about what it takes to succeed on the field and in the classroom.
"It's just part of our culture to help each other out, "Â Sataraka concluded.
And the shadow of the man they call "Big Mike"Â continues to inspire these young men.
"I feel honored that others look up to me. Inspiring others was not my intention, I always worked hard and pushed myself to be better. Anyone can be in my shoes if they work hard, nothing comes for free or is given to you. I hope that the University of Idaho will continue to bring Polynesian athletes into the Vandal family and that they will all make a name for themselves as I have,"Â said Iupati.
And so, as Idaho winds up its spring football practice and looks to the fall, it knows that a great amount of the anticipated success they hope to achieve this fall is attainable because Moscow feels like home to a group young Polynesian men who know they are part of a large Vandal family.
