Chris Naeole (2021) - CU Athletic Hall of Fame - University of Colorado Athletics

Chris Naeole

Induction:
2021
Class:
1996

A four-year letterman from 1993-96, he was a dominant force at guard (lined up a 6-foot 4 and 310 pounds) … A consensus first-team All-American as a senior in 1996 (Associated Press, AFCA, Walter Camp and Football News) … He became the first native Hawaiian player to earn consensus All-America honors in 51 years (Herman Wedemeyer did it in 1945 for St. Mary’s) … A Playboy Preseason All-American prior to his senior year… A first-team All-Big Eight performer in 1995 as a junior, and a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 team member as a senior, when he was co-winner of the John Mack Award as CU’s outstanding offensive player… Set a school record as a senior with 58 pancake blocks… Ended his career by not allowing a quarterback sack in his final 28 games (including 468 pass plays as a senior) … The only player in CU history to win the spring Romig (top senior-to-be), Casotti (top-junior-to-be) and Irwin (top sophomore-to-be) awards … A first round choice by New Orleans in the 1997 NFL Draft (10th overall, the highest position a Colorado offensive lineman has ever been drafted through the 2020 draft); he was the highest selected guard in the draft since 1988, and the first Buffalo offensive lineman picked in the first round since 1980 (Stan Brock) … He played 12 seasons in the league with New Orleans (1997-2001) and Jacksonville (2002-08), starting 150 of 154 career games (he was flagged for just 49 penalties over his entire pro career, or just one for every three-plus games) ... Selected as the No. 25 player in the Jacksonville Jaguars history in its 25th anniversary celebration as a franchise in 2019 … He went into coaching after his playing days, first at Iolani High School on Oahu and then as the full-time offensive line coach for the University of Hawai’i (2013-17; for a time during the 2015 season, he served as the interim head coach) … Spent two years late last decade coaching and consulting about American football in Japan … Inducted into the Polynesian Athletic Hall of Fame in its 2016 class … Graduated with a 3.0 grade point average with a degree in Sociology from CU … A first-team All-American in high school (Prep Football Report) … He was born December 25, 1974 in Kailua, Hawai’i.