Teitum Tuioti Carries Polynesian Football Legacy From Laie to Oregon’s Big Ten Stage
Discussions about Hawaii typically conjure up thoughts of resorts, the Pacific Ocean, surfing, volcanoes, sunshine, floral print clothing, pineapple, poi, hula dancing and luaus. Quickly rising up the list of topics that freely associate with the 50th state is football.
Yes, Hawaiian football stars are more prevalent than ever, and when they go play at the collegiate level, it is typically at a school that borders the Pacific coast. It’s a natural progression, given how the west coast is the part of the United States mainland in closest proximity to the islands. And when the Pac-12 folded, the Big Ten conference absorbed the now former league’s most prestigious football programs, leading to a strong Hawaiian presence at 2026 Big Ten Media Days.
Representing their schools at this year’s Big Ten Media Days in Chicago were USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava and Oregon outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti (pronounced Tay-tum Too-ee-Oh-tee).
Play that Packs a Hawaiian Punch
During our exclusive conversation with Tuioti, we first discussed the increasing prominence of Polynesian talent in football, with the Ducks star OLB citing the late Junior Seau as a significant inspiration.
“I think that there’s a lot of talent on the island,” Tuioti said in an exclusive with Ratings.org
“Polynesian players have a lot of talent, and I’m glad to see everyone notice it. I’m glad that us Polynesians are getting out there, showcasing what we can do, and it’s truly a blessing for Jayden, for me, for Nico, for all of us Polynesians, to be here and represent ourselves.”
In addition to Seau, a six-time NFL All-Pro First Team selection, Tuioti mentioned two-time Super Bowl champion and 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu, as well as former Notre Dame star Manti Te’o, as providing inspirational impact.
“He’s (Seau) an old-time defensive player, and he’s always been an inspiration for my dad, for me,” Tuioti continued.
“Because he’s one of the first Polynesians to get to the NFL, and one of the most feared players on defense. So that’s someone that I look up to.”
“Growing up, I always watched him (Polamalu), and also Manti Te’o is another guy that is actually from the same city I’m from, Laie. And growing up, I remember him coming to my school, the city would just love him, because he’s one of the first people to really get out of our city and go do great things.
“So those guys have a lot of power, and a lot of inspiration from us.”
Tuioti, like all the other players appearing at Media Days, came dressed in a high-class, professional suit and tie. On the inside of his coat, near the pocket, was a small floral print, evoking the “Hawaiian shirt” genre that we all know.
The Oregon edge rusher discussed the family-driven work ethic that’s very common among Polynesian players.
“The biggest thing is that all of us, we play for our family,” he said. “So our effort and our level of focus and our hard work is going to be there, because we know we gotta strain, and we gotta do it for the family.
“The last name on our jersey means a lot to us, and that’s something that we take pride in, and that’s why we play so hard.”
When he says that family comes first, it means much more than what might be written on a greeting card. His father is Tony Tuioti, the DL Coach for the Ducks. And his brother, Mana Tuioti, is a linebacker for the Boise State Broncos.
“It’s something that all the Polynesians don’t take lightly, making a name not just for your last name, but the whole Polynesian community, the culture, the background,” Maiava added on this subject.
“There’s a lot of great ones (Hawaiian football players), don’t get me wrong, but the community is growing in football; that’s really cool!”
Nike Resources Dressing the Team for Success
The Tuioti family left the 808 state in 2013, and when the time came for Teitum to attend high school, it was at Sheldon High in Eugene, Oregon, the home of the state’s flagship university.
Tuioti highlighted the blessings of being at the University of Oregon- having great coaches and facilities, the distinctive, cutting-edge uniforms, and, of course, the record-breaking generosity of one particular superdonor, Phil Knight.
The Nike Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus is an Oregon alum, and he’s donated billions, plural, to his alma mater. Oregon athletics is synonymous with having multiple uniform combinations and patterns, and Tuioti said his all-time favorite is the one designed to honor Knight directly.
“One of my favorite uniform designs was the Phil Knight, ‘Shoe Duck’ one, for (the game against) Oregon State,” Tuioti explained.
“One, it looked really cool, but number two it had a lot of meaning. Obviously it’s for Phil Knight, and I remember that game, putting it on and playing in it, and man you just feel a level of respect for Phil Knight, and you want to play extremely hard, and you want to make him proud, because he’s done so much for our program.”
The Shoe Duck that Tuioti is speaking of was worn for the annual in-state “Civil War” game last September. According to a press release from the school, the uniform honors Knight, “his Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman and the fruits of their union, including Knight and his wife Penny’s generous support for Oregon.”
About a year ago, Knight and his wife, Penny, donated $2 billion to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to expand cancer research and patient care.
The school claimed at the time that it was the largest single donation ever made to a U.S. university.
Leveling Up
There are more NFL mock drafts on the internet than anybody would ever want or need. These days, the number of NFL mock drafts published online is well into triple digits. Many of these mock drafts have Tuioti projected to become a first-round pick, but the overall consensus has him slotted to be a solid day two guy, and most likely a second-rounder.
However, he is on pretty much everybody’s overall top 50 prospects list.
Tuioti described himself as a versatile player when we asked him what his main selling points are to an NFL team that might be interested in drafting him.
“I can play inside, outside. I can play off the ball, and also my effort is going to be there no matter what,” he said.
“I’m going to give everything I got for whatever program I’m playing for. I’m going to chase the ball like none other, and I’m going to make sure I’m always in the frame of the camera, and be around the ball no matter what.”
Conversely, we also asked him what he’s working on to get better. Tuioti said he’s focusing on improving his counters off the power rush.
“I love going speed to power, but what happens when they stop me? What happens when I can’t go speed to power? I’ve got to make sure I have counters off of that, whether that’s forklift, whether that’s pin, whether I get back to my rip, or that’s a spin back inside.
“So all these counter moves I’m working on this offseason, so that it should be a great season.”
If Tuioti puts up some good pass-rushing numbers this season, and then wows scouts at the combine and pro day next spring, he could easily find himself becoming a top 20-25 overall pick.
You already know that he’ll put in the work to get there.