American football player and broadcaster (born 1962)
Vai Sikahema
Date of birth
(1962-08-29) 29 August 1962 (age 61)
Place of birth
Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
Career information
Position(s)
Running back Kickoff returner
Height
5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight
191 lb (87 kg)
US college
BYU
High school
Mesa (Mesa, Arizona)
NFL draft
1986 / Round: 10 / Pick: 254
Career history
As player
1986–1990
St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
1991
Green Bay Packers
1992–1993
Philadelphia Eagles
Career highlights and awards
2× Pro Bowl (1986, 1987)
First-team All-Pro (1987)
Second-team All-Pro (1986)
National champion (1984)
Career stats
Playing stats at NFL.com
General Authority Seventy
April 3, 2021 (2021-04-03)
Called by
Russell M. Nelson
Personal details
Children
4
Biography portal LDS movement portal
Vai Sikahema (born 29 August 1962) is a Tongan broadcaster and former professional American football player. He played as a running back and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He has served as a general authority seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since April 2021.[1][2]
Sikahema led his high school team in Arizona to the 1979 state championship game.[3] He played college football for the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars, and was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals (later the Phoenix Cardinals) in the tenth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. He also played for the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles before retiring after the 1993 season. The first Tongan ever to play in the NFL, he played for eight seasons from 1986 to 1993. After retiring from the NFL, he served as sports director for NBC 10, the NBC owned-and-operated station in Philadelphia from 1994 to 2020.[4]
^"Elder Vaiangina Sikahema". Newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
^"See the 8 newly sustained General Authority Seventies and 3 Primary general presidency members". TheChurchNews.com. 3 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
^"Vai May Be Slow But He's An All-Pro". DeseretNews.com. Associated Press. 24 July 1988. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021.
^Michel Tanenbaum (31 July 2020). "Vai Sikahema to retire in November after 26 years at NBC10". PhillyVoice. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
VaiSikahema (born 29 August 1962) is a Tongan broadcaster and former professional American football player. He played as a running back and return specialist...
Rosita Vai (born 1981), New Zealand singer Steve Vai (born 1960), guitarist Steve Vai's band VaiVaiSikahema (born 1962), American football player Vai Taua...
Tatupu was invited to the Pro Bowl in 1986 as a special teams player. VaiSikahema was the first Tonga native in the NFL. He led the league in punt return...
of Swedish descent, and is a nephew by marriage of former NFL player VaiSikahema. When he was about two years old, he and his parents moved to Salem,...
One of several Tongans who have played in the NFL, he is a cousin of VaiSikahema, the first Tongan ever to play in the NFL. Lutui was born in Haʻapai...
Football Players Share Their Mormon Faith Ty Detmer, Burgess Owens And VaiSikahema Told A Packed Sanctuary Of The Role Of Religion In Their Lives". Philadelphia...
0 Total return yards 4,997 Timmy Brown 1729 Brian Mitchell 2002 234 VaiSikahema 1992-11-22 @NYG 657 Brian Mitchell 296 Brian Mitchell 2001 159 Brian...
In May 2008, Philadelphia sportscaster and former NFL football player VaiSikahema accepted a challenge from Canseco to fight him for $30,000. Canseco claims...
Former morning anchor VaiSikahema may be the station's most recognizable current personality. A former Philadelphia Eagle, Sikahema is one of several former...
Football Players Share Their Mormon Faith Ty Detmer, Burgess Owens And VaiSikahema Told A Packed Sanctuary Of The Role Of Religion In Their Lives". The...
Siupeli Malamala, Tim Manoa, Stan Mataele, Vili Maumau, Alfred Pupunu, VaiSikahema, Star Lotulelei, Vita Vea, and Peter Tuipulotu. Matangi Tonga – online...
Cleveland Browns Most seasons leading the league in combined returns: 3, VaiSikahema, 1987, 1989, 1992 Most combined kick returns, career: 1,070 (463 punt...
Vita Vea Musical group The Jets NFL player, television news reporter VaiSikahema Tongan Australians Tongan New Zealanders Tonga–United States relations...
47–34 win over the New York Giants at the Meadowlands (which included a VaiSikahema punt return for a touchdown and his iconic boxing with the padding at...
journalist who obtained release of five wrongfully convicted innocent people VaiSikahema (born 1962), WCAU-TV sports journalist and former professional football...
OL 55 Brian Rondoni Fr FB 33 Thor Salanoa So OL 56 Jay Shumway HB 23 VaiSikahema Jr HB 21 Kelly Smith OL 60 David Tidwell HB 46 Tom Tuipulotu TE 89 Brett...
include Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Gifford Nielsen, Bart Oates, Chad Lewis, VaiSikahema, Todd Christensen, John Beck, and Zach Wilson. BYU became involved in...
World Cup. In May 2008, WCAU-TV sports director and former NFL player VaiSikahema accepted an open challenge from former MLB player Jose Canseco to fight...
2011). "Brandon Davies Has A White Girlfriend". Uproxx. VaiSikahema (April 22, 2011), "Vai's View: On the honor code and accountability", Deseret News...
Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2008. "VaiSikahema : Anchorman, Sports Reporter". NBC. Archived from the original on April...
Retrieved 23 March 2018. "Canseco knocked out by former NFL return man Sikahema". ESPN. 12 July 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2020. "Wendell Sailor smashes...
Orleans Saints Jon Dumbauld DE Kentucky SEC 10 254 St. Louis Cardinals VaiSikahema † RB BYU WAC 10 255 St. Louis Cardinals Wes Smith WR East Texas State...
Bulldogs and Manly Sea Eagles Leilani Rorani, Former NZ squash player VaiSikahema, Tongan, NFL player Kalani Sitake, Coach of the Brigham Young University...
Jesse Sapolu and Maa Tanuvasa. Board members include Troy Polamalu, Via Sikahema, June Jones, and Reno Mahe. The hall is located at the Polynesian Cultural...
Global Information
