Troy Polamalu visits American Samoa | NFL Films Presents (Show 9)

right when you need a fake play who shows up number 43 well the things that Troy was really adamant about theses look football gave me my opportunity gave me my voice but what I want to get back to the people of Samoa is more than just football he may be retired but he's as busy as ever you travel halfway around the world with Troy Polamalu today on NFL Films presents tattooing for us is a transition from being a young boy into a young man it's a painful ordeal they could take anywhere from four to five or six days even up to 10 days depending on how much tolerance they have and to adore the pain this is the second week no and hopefully hopefully we're finished on this Friday or Saturday it's expected of you that once you were to tattoo that you are well versed before if I saw more in the way of life in serving our Chiefs and serving our people so they become well versed in every facet in aspect of our tradition they don't expect too much of that from someone who doesn't have a tattoo let it down for us amore translated it means the Samoan way the guiding principle of Samoan culture well he doesn't have a pea the traditional tattoo nor was he born and raised on the island Troy Polamalu has embraced the culture of his heritage I love what it means to be someone to be self-sustaining to really embody the warrior nosov being someone nearly five thousand miles from the US mainland deep in the Pacific Ocean American Samoa is the last piece of rock in the Western world it's an island of rugged beauty and warm-hearted people since officially becoming a u.s. territory in 1929 the people have slowly woven the American Way of life into their native customs and rituals few things from the mainland have caught on more in American some more then its most popular sport as some ones we tend to be very aggressive people it's in our nature it's in our culture and we love it we love when we have the passion and football it shows all aspects of that passion there may be no more picturesque football setting on the planet but the playing conditions are far from ideal oh I jerked at it in a positive way I mean as you can see with the Phyllis gravel rocks in and everything so it's it's what we're we're dealt with I wanted rains the drainages is not not not too well it's a familiar scene for football programs across an island about the size of Washington DC we have five high schools and of those five high schools none of them have a proper football field I mean they practice in almost like you know backyard type of places the field rock snow it's not like in the mainland turf I followed these rocks which means there's no crest so I get this field conditions are just the start of the obstacles football teams face in American saw more we don't have a weight room you have these big tires that we use as lifting and and that's our probably our only form of lifting weight just standard equipment helmets it's not up to par the helmets when I first came here in 1999 were helmets I wore in 1971 and in high school that were were sent here to play because they didn't have the equipment back when I was a young player you know they had slippers that they were cut a thigh pads some of these kids come in with no cleats none of them have shorter pass doesn't have all that half of my team are the younger ones they don't have pads so it's kind of hard for us to practice with like hitting the right tackling drills there is no way on God's green earth these equipments here used by these kids and saw more wood being okay to be used in the States no way that's there it's safety hazards you know it's but it's all we have and you're looking at them and you're thinking there's there's no way a kid they come straight from here and play at a major university on the mainland despite all these challenges we tend to thrive enduring strength it's a major Samoan character trait which helps explain why Nylund of just 55,000 people is represented by over 30 NFL and 200 college football players the first Samoan and Polynesia to break in NFL 1947 now that's a little before me but guys like the throws warned Jack Thompson being a third pick in the draft was our RG three during my generation adding a fresh dimension Thompson became a Roman Samoa it gave my generation hope to see that these guys play in that box to call the TV and we're thinking you know these guys grew up the same way I did and if they can do it on maybe I have a shot it's because of the success of saw morons like Jesse Sapolu and football players of saw Moen descent that a 60 minutes report notes a Samoan is 56 times more likely to play in the NFL than a non Samoan American on a play the best safety in the business football has become the method of choice for some moyen boys to get off the rock getting off the rock means a lot to a lot of kids because our families aren't really wealthy and this is pretty much one of the best ways for boys football and it's hard to live in this life for me I think this is a better way for me to succeed is by playing football my last name going to the NF L sawl I want in my last name to tell it everything I want my last name is just to be known to the world but I ask people to get to know us don't just see it some more name and you can't pronounce it on the back of someone's shirt google us let you know find out who we really are yes I know this is our first date back out here good job for today let's get better tomorrow you might not notice much of a difference but like all other American traditions that make their way to the island football is whether it's a bring down know the purpose breno coming up whenever I go on the road and you bleed you know you remember that that's the more blood and you can never run away from who you are and that's something that's very very important to my culture will tell you how a group led by people of Samoan heritage including one of the NFL's biggest dongs is bringing much-needed support to the island there we go there we go goddess it's very very important that someone belief is more left or which means put God first you know the three FS that we go by and you know faith family and football evidence of faith can be seen all over American saw more but the third F and the Samoan hierarchy also pulls a lot of weight and when a container filled with critical supplies including football equipment needs to be unloaded on the Sabbath exceptions are made it also helps that the person bringing the supplies is one of the most well known and respected football players of Samoan heritage it is football tire Sunday is an extremely traditional day where people don't even leave their houses hardly so to be able to get these containers from a ship hollom you know with the semi-truck get all these adults that are working to try to get ready for the children was a huge process and you know people really had to make a sacrifice he wears thirteen little snowmen their efforts are going to support a camp called the for Samoa initiative founded by Troy Polamalu and his wife Theodora the fossum Oh initiative is basically something that we started to really make a meaningful impact here in the island of American Samoa we wanted to come back and kind of share our experience you know of what I've learned in my life with the people here you know I've been fortunate to have little success in sports in my life and I always believe within myself that the things that make you successful in sports are the same things that make you successful in life Polamalu was a leader and guiding force of the Pittsburgh Steelers for 12 seasons the two-time Super Bowl champ played the game with an unrivaled passion been around football players my whole life I have never seen someone work harder than him and be more diligent than him and constantly trying to improve and constantly try to evolve it's a characteristic not exclusive to his pursuits on the football field well it's different for me now that I'm done playing football now I've actually been able to just really get my hands into helping organizing this camp 2015 marks the Fossum ala initiatives third and most ambitious mission in just a week's time 200 volunteers will work with 1,500 of the island's youth in football and volleyball camps while reaching thousands more through educational training and free medical clinics I spent a lot of time in those I did I can actually run one myself to be able to put this kind of program this magnitude but for different components and bringing people from not only just one state but we're spread out three different time zones and you're trying to coordinate all their stuff and make this thing happen it's to me it's a minor miracle that we could even pull it off we know we're providing like a westernized formal education but it's still very traditional and we don't want to take the tradition away from somewhere because that's what makes us someone before I go to practice or go to school to make sure that my chores are done there's so many chores to do but sorry it's the life for someone yes let me get something to eat first there you go you have a nice day good bye good luck thank you footballs helps me get out the house it's been passed down to me all my ancestors played it on my older siblings football's life to me and I have to play this sport various Malala is a sophomore at Lai owning high school if he his teammates and hundreds of other high school boys from across the island want to kick-start their chances of achieving their dream this is the week to do it this is going to be a great opportunity for you guys to get yourself looked at if you want to play college football you need to show it to these guys this week if you really want to play at the next level you got guys from all over the country you come here for you show your good side yeah move all right hey Right today is gonna be a big day for us MINURSO feel what about 55 here nice read good stuff get up get up get up there we go there we go you know when you're tired you're sore you still got to wake up and nothing's gonna stop you from cheating your goals so we're connected with everybody now you're connected with well what's that despite what it may seem football isn't the main industry in American some more more men of Samoa are recruited to the US Army than from any other state or territory not surprising fishing is a major source of income welcome to Sarkis Tyler flood through Troy and the team sorry everybody out there's got to wear one of these winning the big industry really is starkest Starkist employees or 2,000 people and it's really the main is she on this island these are the blue-collar workers that help support this island but when they break in the song and dance it's just filled with so much emotion and so much passion it is life-changing experience no doubt I am a very proud son of Samoa and you are all my mothers and fathers out there and I'm so thankful humbled and grateful to be in your presence thank you guys for the blood that you've given me for the humility that you sewed upon me through the fuss on one way I love you but I lovea so why is it so important that we talk about leadership because leadership starts first and foremost with who we are now I want to know how you take it to the next level we wanted to really address the concerns with the education system here and improving it your topic since it's called the tears that sentence should flow exactly from your thesis we have facilitators from different universities in the United States I developed a curriculum working with the current curriculum here in American Samoa for the schools but you guys are seniors let's get a better sense in there we see that a lot of the kids wanted to go into some of the things we expected them to say being a professional athlete an NFL player but we also wanted to make sure and explore other professions that they that they're not seeing I wouldn't mind working eight hours per day in an office that is not me but it might be you that's okay you know I'm not trying to give the full curriculum plans in this manner but what we're trying to do is spark it and let a little bit of a stick in to keep them hungry for more you are now sitting in the most advanced computer Center in the entire island of sama we gave 30 computers we've actually had several children in the program came from a village where they don't have computers in their local school when they start to figure out what sort of information and the access information that they have through those computers in the whole new world open up for them so we're connected with everybody now you're connected with what what's that oh yeah and that's one of the things that Troy was really adamant about when we spoke he says look football gave me my opportunity gave me my voice but what I want to get back to the people of Samoa is more than just football you're connected with everybody in the world the camp lasts just a week but the initiatives work is far from over what we're doing here today with the medical and volleyball in education side in football now it's really hard to pinpoint it but it's progress can't describe the smile and just their happiness I mean you see them talking is it just a very thankful I wish there was another word um deeper than thank you I'll be honest with you I didn't know what to expect when we got here on this trip but what did I see the kids how passionate they were every day we did some powerful things with this group that I know will move forward we need to carry on what they've planted and if we don't then we're doing them an injustice we want to make sure that we do everything we can to support this island really start progressing in a way that these children and the younger generations will have a better life when I look at the kids of America I see lawyers judges chemists CEOs I see professional football players volleyball players I see generals the important thing is not what I believe in what I see though is what they see in themselves and if you see that in yourself this is what you've got to do and that's kind of been our message a message of Prime beautiful a message of progress a message of hope delivered in the Samoan way furthermore for us our war by some more hearts are more by us amor some more on the next episode of NFL Films presents all right number judge yet number provider here comes the judge and the man he used to block for the sky is uh one of the great running backs for the dolphin organization kind of extends the glory over the years plus what a great team effort everybody had a hand in that window he's a long way from the NFL but coach Sherman is back y'all thought that I was gonna make you make the difference not me don't miss authority figures next week on Fox Sports 1

Channel: NFL Films

Views: 394,992

Keywords: Troy Polamalu (American Football Player), NFL Films (TV Program Creator), American Samoa (Country), American Football (Sport), Nfl, Island, Life, Polamalu, Steelers, Pittsburgh

Id: gPcNYTKA54Q

Length: 22min 7sec (1327 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 22 2015