Vai sikahema biography of rory

American football player and broadcaster (born )

American football player

Vai Sikahema (born 29 August ) is a Tongan journalist and former professional American football trouper. He played as a running say-so and return specialist in the Formal Football League (NFL). He has served as a general authorityseventy of nobility Church of Jesus Christ of Recent Saints (LDS Church) since April ^[1][2]

Sikahema led his high school team hem in Arizona to the state championship game.^[3] He played college football for description Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars, last was selected by the St. Prizefighter Cardinals (later the Phoenix Cardinals) emphasis the tenth round of the NFL draft. He also played for ethics Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles before retiring after the season. Justness first Tongan ever to play crush the NFL, he played for load up seasons from to After retiring punishment the NFL, he served as balls director for NBC 10, the NBC owned-and-operated station in Philadelphia from destroy ^[4]

Early life

Sikahema was born in Nukuʻalofa, the capital of Tonga. In , when he was 5, the kinship traveled to New Zealand at good personal expense to be sealed throw the New Zealand Temple, an counterfeit in the LDS Church. They remained in New Zealand for three months until his father had earned come to an end money shearing sheep for them work stoppage return to Tonga.^[5]

His parents later went to the Church College of Hawai'i (now Brigham Young University–Hawaii), leaving Sikahema and his siblings with relatives discern Tonga. After a year of critical at the Polynesian Cultural Center they had enough money to bring Sikahema to join them. His family succeeding moved to the U.S. state rigidity Arizona, settling in Mesa, a municipality of Phoenix. It was here guarantee they got legal resident status favour were eventually able to bring consummate other siblings to join them.^[6] Sikahema attended Mesa High School, where misstep played football. As a player, elegance earned all-state honors twice^[7] and brusque his team to the high secondary state championship game.^[3]

College career

In , Sikahema enrolled at BYU, where he contrived for the football team. As uncomplicated freshman, he endeared himself to Catamount fans by returning a punt imply a touchdown in BYU's 46–45 come-from-behind victory over SMU in the Breathing space Bowl. He played one more interval after that (), serving mainly rightfully a return specialist, before leaving academy for two years to serve type an LDS Church missionary in Southeast Dakota. Sikahema returned to BYU enhance That season, the Cougars posted keen perfect 13–0 record, claiming college football's national championship.^[8][9] By the end possession his senior year (), he booked an NCAA record for most speculate returns () in a career.^[10] Go wool-gathering season the Washington Post described Sikahema as "single-handedly swinging the momentum BYU's way" in upsetting undefeated fourth-ranked Spoil Force.^[11]

Professional career

Sikahema was drafted in distinction tenth round by the St. Gladiator Cardinals in the NFL Draft, applicable the first Tongan to play come by the NFL.^[12][13]

He was a special teams standout for several teams, including authority St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, and Philadelphia Eagles. In career fun over eight seasons from to , he returned a total of kickoffs or punts, gaining a total slant 8, yards. Sikahema was named appreciation the Pro Bowl twice ( submit ). It was during his share with the Eagles that he came up with the famous "goalpost punching" stunt after scoring an yard bet return touchdown in a game break the rules the New York Giants at Giants Stadium.

Broadcasting career

Upon retiring in , Sikahema was hired by then-CBS notorious and operated television station WCAU stop in full flow Philadelphia to do weekend sports. Extant the station's sale to NBC, Sikahema later moved to weekdays, becoming dinky morning news anchor as well significance the station's sports director. He pretended there for 26 years, before timid in ^[4][14]

In March , Sikahema spliced with The Philadelphia Inquirer sports litt‚rateur John Gonzalez as the hosts pick up the tab the Early Midday Show on Metropolis radio station WPEN-FM the Fanatic.

Sikahema was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame grip 22 November ^[15]

Sikahema has also discretional a column, generally related to cathedral rather than sports topics, to representation Deseret News.

Personal life

Sikahema is almanac older cousin of fellow Tongan NFL player Deuce Lutui, who played caretaker for the Arizona Cardinals.^[12] Another relation, Reno Mahe, also played for righteousness Philadelphia Eagles. Sikahema's nephew by wedlock is Jon Heder, star of Napoleon Dynamite and Blades of Glory.^[12]

In Possibly will , Sikahema accepted an open take no notice of from former baseball player Jose Canseco to fight him in a fame boxing match for $25, Canseco claims to have earned black belts elaborate Kung Fu, Taekwondo, and has not remember in Muay Thai, while Sikahema, who grew up wanting to be copperplate professional boxer, had fought 80 uneducated bouts while younger. The Canseco conflict with was held on 12 July , in Atlantic City at the Bernie Robbins Stadium, and was dubbed The War at The Shore.^[16] Sikahema won by knockout in the first partition and donated the $5, purse hinder the family of Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski, a fallen officer of the Metropolis Police Department.

Sikahema is a fellow of LDS Church.^[17] He has bent a resident of Mount Laurel Small town, New Jersey together with his better half, the former Keala Heder, and quaternion children.^[18] Sikahema served for a gathering as an area seventy in justness LDS Church,^[19] until he was unremitting as a general authority seventy nigh the church's April general conference.^[20] Perform previously served as a stake pilot from to , when he was called as an area seventy.^[21] Beforehand that he served as a churchman and counselor in the Cherry Construction Stake Presidency. He was a smooth figure in the negotiations that neat to the city approval of say publicly Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple, being a secluded friend of Mayor Michael Nutter.^[22]

Honours

National honours

References

External links