Sefo Liufau Named Polynesian College Football Player of the Year

HONOLULU – The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced Wednesday it has selected University of Colorado senior quarterback Sefo Liufau as its recipient of the 2016 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.

The award is presented annually to the most outstanding Polynesian college football player that epitomizes great ability and integrity. Liufau, a native of Tacoma, Wash. (Bellarmine Prep), is of Samoan ancestry. He is the son of Joe and Heather Liufau and is also the nephew of inaugural Polynesian Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2014) inductee Jack "The Throwin' Samoan" Thompson.

"I would just like to say thank you so much for the award of Polynesian Player of the Year in college football," Liufau said. "It is a tremendous honor for me being of Samoan heritage and just an honor and privilege to be a part of a program that has turned around from being at the bottom to being back at the top. I just want to thank my teammates and my coaches for an unbelievable year, an unbelievable experience here at the University of Colorado and I wouldn't be able to do this without them.

"This award is a testament not only to myself, but to my teammates who helped me reach this level and helped me through the years. I want to say thank you to the Polynesian Hall of Fame committee for nominating me and picking me, it's a tremendous honor."

University of Oregon and Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota was selected as the inaugural recipient of the award in 2014, and Notre Dame and Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley was selected as the recipient in 2015.

"Sefo has led the University of Colorado to one of their greatest seasons in school history," said Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Chairman Jesse Sapolu. "His leadership on and off the field has been instrumental in their success."

Liufau beat out four other finalists to win the award - TE Cole Hikutini (Louisville), DT Lowell Lotulelei (Utah), DB Kai Nacua (Brigham Young University) and WR Juju Smith-Schuster (Southern California).

"On behalf of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Board of Directors, we congratulate Sefo on this historic accomplishment," said Vice-Chairman Ma'a Tanuvasa. "He truly represents the very best of our Polynesian clulture."

During his senior season Liufau helped guide Colorado back to heights not reached in over a decade. The three-year team captain guided CU to its first Pac-12 South Division championship by leading the Buffs to an 8-1 record in conference play and a 10-3 overall record – just the eighth 10-win season in school history and first since 2001.

He was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection of the league coaches this year after passing for 2,171 yards with 11 touchdowns while also rushing for an additional 496 yards with seven more touchdowns on the ground. He was twice named the Pac-12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week – the only offensive player in the league to receive the honor twice in 2016.

Over the course of his career he appeared in 41 games with 39 starts – the most of any quarterback in Colorado history. That is one of a whopping 87 school records to his name, as he set 58 passing, 20 total offense and nine other records at CU over the last four seasons. He is just the second CU player to serve as a team captain for three seasons (also doing so in 2014 and 2015), the first since Pat Carney did so over 120 years ago (1891-92-93).

The finalists were chosen by a selection committee composed of past head football coaches Dick Tomey (Chairman), LaVell Edwards, Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil, ESPN SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett, NFL player personnel expert Gil Brandt, past NFLPA president Kevin Mawae (Polynesian Football HOF Inaugural Inductee) and Hawai'i sportscaster Robert Kekaula.

Former Buffalo offensive lineman Chris Naeole (Hawaiian ancestry), a consensus All-American at CU in 1996, is being inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

The formal presentation of the Award for Liufau will be held at the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Celebration Dinner (Jan. 20, 2017) along with being recognized at the Inaugural Polynesian Bowl (Jan. 21, 2017). The Class of 2017

Sefo Liufau Named Polynesian College Football Player of the Year

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Sefo Liufau

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