Jesse Sapolu (1979)

NFL player, San Francisco 49ers, 4-time Super Bowl champion

What is Jesse Sapolu (1979) known for?

Jesse Sapolu, born on March 10, 1961 in Apia, Samoa, is a respected figure in the world of American football, having made a name for himself in the National Football League (NFL). He attended Farrington High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, before continuing his academic and athletic endeavors at the University of Hawaii. Apia, Samoa and Farrington High School can be located on Google Maps.

Sapolu's NFL career spanned from 1983 to 1997, all of which he spent with the San Francisco 49ers. He stood out as a versatile player on the field, adeptly playing both center and offensive guard positions. Throughout his career, Sapolu played a total of 182 games, starting in 154 of them, and recovering one fumble. His NFL statistics can be viewed at NFL.com and Pro Football Reference.

His career was adorned with numerous accolades including being a 4-time Super Bowl champion (XIX, XXIII, XXIV, XXIX), and earning Pro Bowl honors in 1993 and 1994. Impressively, Sapolu is one of only six 49ers players to own four Super Bowl championship rings. Besides these achievements, he was also recognized as First-team All-WAC in 1980 and Second-team All-WAC in 1981.

Post-retirement, Sapolu and his wife Lisa chose to settle in Southern California. He remained an active participant in the community and continued his association with the San Francisco 49ers alumni. Apart from this, Sapolu is also recognized for his integral role in establishing the Polynesian Pro Football Hall of Fame, which he co-founded. He now runs an organization named Men In The Trenches (MITT) in California. You can delve deeper into his activities via the MITT 2020 Opening Day website.