Sone Aupiu and AJ Vaipulu garner national attention.
Source: NMSU Athletics (Photo By: Stew Milne, Courtesy)
NM State’s Sone Aupiu and AJ Vaipulu were named to the 2024 Watch List for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award on Thursday.
The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry that epitomizes great ability and integrity. The Watch List is composed of 96 players from 37 different FBS schools.
The Watch List candidates have been selected based on past performance and future potential. Additions to the list will be made as the 2024 season progresses. The finalists and winner will be chosen by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee which includes former NFL Player and Inaugural Inductee Jack “The Throwin’ Samoan” Thompson (Chairman), Coaches Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil, former NFL Player and Inaugural Inductee Olin Kreutz, Inaugural Inductee and past NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, former NFL Player and Class of 2015 Inductee Ray Schoenke, sportscaster Neil Everett, and NFL Network Chief National Reporter Steve Wyche.
Aupiu, a linebacker of full Samoan descent, enters his third year with the Aggies and is coming off his best year in Crimson and White. In 2023, Aupiu appeared in all 15 games, including making 11 starts during the Aggies’ historic 10-win season. Last season, Aupiu made 47 total tackles, highlighted by 6.5 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage. The Long Beach, Calif., native also added two sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery during his redshirt freshman campaign.
Vaipulu enters the season as one of the Aggies’ leaders on the front line – having started each of the previous 25 games at either right guard, left guard or center. Last season, Vaipulu, a guard of full Tongan descent, anchored an offensive line which helped the Aggie rushing attack compile nearly 200 yards per game (198.7) – a mark that ranked 14th in the nation. In total, Vaiuplu has appeared in 26 games and has been a key piece during the Aggies’ historic two-year run in 2023 and 2024.
Five finalists for the 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award will be unveiled on December 3 and the winner will be announced on December 17. The presentation of the Award will be held during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Celebration Dinner (January 18, 2025) at the Sheraton Waikiki, and they will also be recognized during the Polynesian Bowl (January 17, 2025).
ABOUT THE POLYNESIAN FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame honors Polynesia’s greatest players, coaches, and contributors. Its permanent home is located at the Polynesian Cultural Center and was established in 2013 by Super Bowl Champions Jesse Sapolu and Ma’a Tanuvasa. Other board members include Troy Polamalu, Vai Sikahema, June Jones and Reno Mahe. There are currently 47 inductees. The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame has provided over $300,000 in college scholarships to date. For more information, go to PolynesianFootballHOF.org.
ABOUT THE POLYNESIAN BOWL
The Polynesian Bowl is a premier all-star game played annually in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi that features 100 of the nation’s top-ranked high school juniors and seniors of Polynesian and non-Polynesian ancestry alike – many of whom have gone on to play in the NFL. Past MVPs include AJ Epenesa, Puka Nacua, Travis Hunter, and Nico Iamaleava. The game is broadcast live and in primetime on NFL Network. For more information, visit PolynesianBowl.com.
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