Well...I guess we should probably start recruiting this area more?

Submitted by Rush N Attack on
Somebody at work just emailed this link. What the hell? I had no idea. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/14/60minutes/main6097706.shtml I'm fully aware that it is a two day flight from Detroit to Pago Pago, but dang there's some eye-opening little gems in there. "It's estimated that a boy born to Samoan parents is 56 times more likely to get into the NFL than any other kid in America." "From an island of just 65,000 people, there are more than 30 players of Samoan descent in the NFL and more than 200 playing Division I college ball."
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BlockM

January 18th, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^

I watched that last night too... very interesting. It seems the key to their success is that a) they're big people and b) they're taught from the time they're young to be very respectful and humble off the field, and lions on it. If only every player was like that.

Joined: 07/03/2008

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Ezeh-E

January 18th, 2010 at 11:12 AM ^

are like Polamalu. I played football over in New Zealand (they call it gridiron over there) and a good percentage of the players had Samoan/polynesian descent. Some were good guys, but a good amount played the dirtiest football I'd ever seen. They were like stockier Hines Wards.

Joined: 07/22/2009

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Fresh Meat

January 18th, 2010 at 11:18 AM ^

I watched it and had a question. With all the money that these NFL players are making, why not go back and give your high school some decent equipment? I mean, I know that one guy on the show said their toughness comes from going without, but at least give them safe helmets and such right? They showed the one player who built his family an absolute mansion, well you can't shell out 10 g's, a very small blip on your million dollar salary, and get your former school safe helmets? I dunno, just struck me as odd that with so many players in the NFL all the school's they showed didn't have grass on the field, proper equipment, locker rooms, nothing.

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Sobinator

January 18th, 2010 at 12:51 PM ^

I thought the same thing as I watched. 30 players in the NFL and they are playing on a field full of rocks and the helmets are mostly junk. You would think the 30 guys could chip in and help out. Of course, maybe they are already helping out in other ways by putting the area back together after they were hit with an earthquake and a tsunami.

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pontoon

January 18th, 2010 at 11:54 AM ^

"I want you to understand that this man at the wheel is my attorney. He's not just some dingbat I found on the strip, man. He's a foreigner. I think he's probably Samoan. But that doesn't matter, though, does it? Are you prejudiced?"

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Black Socks

January 18th, 2010 at 12:46 PM ^

Their size can be somewhat attributed to the interesting diet that has been consumed by Pacific islanders over the years.

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wishitwas97

January 19th, 2010 at 2:14 PM ^

that he's fat, you're wrong. He's not fat and he's massive. Legit 6'6" 330 lbs(most of it are all muscles). Unless, you're being sarcastic, then forget what i said about your comment.

Joined: 01/29/2009

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Jinxed

January 18th, 2010 at 2:05 PM ^

not surprising.. It's just like baseball in Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico(not so much now though..) I realize that those places are much larger.. but proportionally, they produce more talent than you'd expect using state-side numbers..

Joined: 09/15/2009

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jmblue

January 19th, 2010 at 1:46 PM ^

The D.R. is indeed a baseball factory, but Puerto Rico isn't nearly as much. It produces players at about the same rate as a U.S. state of that size. Cuba, if it ever opens up, could rival the D.R. An emerging baseball hotbed is the Dutch West Indies (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao), which are cranking out players at an impressive proportional rate.

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Jeffro

January 18th, 2010 at 4:07 PM ^

This is very interesting. I think we should immediately forget about the Cass Tech./ Harding pipelines and construct a Samoan pipeline throughout the islands. I bet they have Michael Ohers' all over the place at Samoan middle schools.

Joined: 12/12/2008

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