Quotes about Miami's "Samoan Block"

About their 6 players of Polynesian descent (5 from Samoa and 1 from Tonga, with 3 from UH), Paul Soliai said about Samoa:
"It's just a little dot on the map." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Several rookies who share one corner of the Miami Dolphins' locker room quickly formed a bond by eating together, studying playbooks together and telling jokes they say only a Samoan would find funny. They've helped formed the "Samoan Block" -- a group of six players of Polynesian descent. Five are from Samoa and one from Tonga, a neighboring island."

HSB Note: "There's Soliai, center Samson Satele, fullback Reagan Mauia, guard Tala Esera and defensive tackle Brian Soi, each a rookie. Defensive tackle Steve Fifita is Tongan and a second-year pro."


The "Samoan Block" say that they are trying to segregate from the team by hanging out together, but Soi said that they just:
"understand each other." (HSB)


About Samoans, Soliai said:
"Samoans are all about respect. You have to give it, and you have to earn it. We know that. It makes it easy to live when you have so many people on the same team that understand you." (HSB)


About how he is an honoraray member of the Samoan Block, as his locker is with their and he learned some Samoan at BYU, John Beck said:
"They called me palagi, or white boy. Really, though, they are the coolest people you will ever meet." (HSB)


About how they have helped each other adjust to Miami, Soliai said:
"We're always hanging around each other. We're always helping each other out." (HSB)


Appreciating the Samoan attitude and their bond, Cam Cameron said after the draft:
"They're all different, their families are different. But what we have seen in these guys is that spirit of enthusiasm, that pride. When they step on the football field, they know they represent someone bigger than themselves, and that's important. We believe in that." (HSB)

HSB Note: "The first Samoan to play in the NFL was Al Lolotai in 1945 with the Washington Redskins. Later came such stars as former Dolphin Junior Seau and Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu, who have helped inspire the recent surge. There were about 30 Polynesians on NFL rosters last season, according to the league's Web site. There were four teams in 2006 with more than three Polynesians on their roster -- the Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers."


About the popularity of football in Samoa, Soliai said:
"Kids are all about football over there. They see us make it, and they look up to us. All they want to do is play in the NFL." (HSB)


About how football provides an opportunity for young men in Samoa, Soi said:
"In America, they pay for your education if you play football. So a lot of kids there try and play football so they can get off the island, so they can move on instead of seeing the same old stuff every day." (HSB)


About how they don't have the same type of playing ground in Samoa, Samson said:
"You don't play on grass. The grass over there is dead. You play on rocks, gravel if you're lucky. It makes you tough, man." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Samoan children sometimes sacrifice their sandals for knee pads, share mouthpieces and swap helmets that don't fit. Most don't see a grass field until high school, Satele said."


About how football is rough in Samoa, Samson said:
"You're out there getting scraped every day and getting sprayed with the other guys' blood. It makes the NFL sound easy." (HSB)


About how they joke with each other in Samoan to annoy other players and coaches, Soi said:
"The coaches give us a hard time about that. They just make fun of us. They kind of think we're talking (trash) about them or players but we're not, usually." (HSB)


About how he wouldn't be surprised if all 6 members of their Samoan Block made the team, Soi said:
"We are raised tough. We love to hit. There is pretty much raw talent over there. Samoans want to get here so bad they are playing on rocks. So when we get here, that energy ain't changing." (HSB)