Colorado University Athletics
Naeole Named Finalist For Polynesian Football Hall of Fame
September 10, 2015 | Football
HONOLULU – Former All-American Chris Naeole is one of 25 finalists for induction into the 2016 Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, the organization announced Thursday.
The 25 finalists include 20 players and five coaches from a nominee list of over 200 and include 17 NFL Pro Bowl selections and 14 Super Bowl Championships. The Class of 2016 will be announced on Oct. 7 and enshrined on January 29-30, 2016, in Oahu.
Naeole, currently the offensive line coach at Hawai'i, who the Buffs opened the 2016 season with last week, played for the Buffs from 1993-96 and was a consensus All-American in 1996, the first native Hawaiian player to earn consensus honors in 51 years since Herman Wedemeyer (1945, St. Mary's), who was inducted into the hall in its inaugural class in 2014.
He earned first-team All-Big Eight honors as a junior in 1995 and was unanimous first-team All-Big 12 as a senior, when he was the co-winner of the team's John Mack Award as the Outstanding Offensive Player.
Drafted No. 10 overall in the 1997 NFL Draft by New Orleans, still the highest a CU lineman has ever been drafted, he played his first five seasons with the Saints before playing the final six years of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This will be the third class inducted into this Hall of Fame, and Naeole would be the first CU player inducted should he be selected. Previous inductees along with Wedemeyer include Junior Seau, Jack Thompson, uncle of current CU QB Sefo Liufau, and Mosi Tatupu, name sake of the College Football Special Teams Player of the Year award.
