On the recent 60 Minutes on CBS this past Sunday following the NFL playoffs they featured a story on a new football factory and supplier of young talent to the American Colleges and eventually the NFL like Pittsburgh Steelers player Troy Polamalu and others currently employed in the National Football League. Who would of guessed that this new football factory and supplier of young talent is a little island called American Samoa.
Scott Pelley Reports on Why More NFL Players Come from This Tiny Group of Islands Than from Any Other Place in America
They say out something 5% kids living in the island of American Samoa have been given scholarships to American schools and NCAA football programs and eventually the pro's.
I wonder if we will see any of the young players in the CFL, or especially with the Ti-Cats in years to come or are there any players currently in the league that fans might know about or upcoming?
It was a great story by 60 minutes, the island has only four high schools all have football programs and compete against each other which is amazing in itself considering the American Samoa is something like 8,000 miles off the coast from mainland USA?? The high schools use old pretty much outdated football equipment helmets, pads etc. but the players are very involved and see the game as a great opportunity especially when others have gone on to achieve a scholarship and acceptance in the pros.
It's a neat story, but Samoa has produced football players for quite a while. The CFL was a pioneer in this area. Junior Ah You was a terrific defensive end for the Als in the 1970s. Not sure what others there have been from there.
[i]there are more than 30 players of Samoan descent in the NFL
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[b]The team doesn't have a locker room or a weight room, either. [/b]
A rusted shipping container is the storeroom for his varsity team’s busted, antiquated equipment.
“Everything that’s in here, that we have gotten here in American Samoa, is actually donated,” Lake said. “It’s second-hand equipment. And it’s actually equipment that would never be allowed to be used in the States.”
“Coach, if you used some of this gear back in the States, you’d get sued,” Pelley remarked.
We were in Pago Pago, American Samoa last year on a cruise. One of my favourite islands, it is amazing that you visit the South Pacific and you come across these Islands where they fly the US flag and people are pround to be American and follow US sports. Had to be the friendliest people in all of Polynesia.
Yet nearby we went to the French Islands where the people have a different culture follow different sports and not as friendly and resent the French. Went to Fiji and the people are different again and they are crazy about Rugby and have professionals playing in Australia and New Zealand.