As for Elder Groberg, he said he has a soft spot for anyone related to Feki Po'uha. As of 2018[update], he had been a fixture at the station for 24 years. Kelepi Finau, father of PGA golfer Tony Finau, watches a movie with his granddaughter, Leilene, 5, at Tony’s home in Lehi on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. "Understanding the story of Kolipoki and Feki, and the impact they had on the islands and what missionary work has done just for me — and then really for everyone that's been baptized into the church and understands the gospel — it's a great blessing.". As a freshman, he endeared himself to Cougar fans by returning a punt for a touchdown in BYU's 46–45 come-from-behind victory over SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl. [1], Sikahema was born in Nukuʻalofa, the capital of Tonga. As Elder Sikahema described it, there are many memories from that time that are "seared" into his head and that have helped build his faith and testimony over the years. Credit: Courtesy Elder John Groberg, Courtesy Elder John Groberg. "Kolipoki represents, to me, the millions of young men and women who lose their lives in the service of the Savior," Elder Sikahema said. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That is the wonder of missionary service, he said. On a return trip to Tonga just a few years ago, while visiting the island of 'Eua, he reunited with Mele Vave, one of the members he and Feki Po'uha baptized. Former BYU and NFL football player Vai Sikahema emceed the press conference announcing the agreement between the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. They remained in New Zealand for three months until his father had earned enough money shearing sheep for them to return to Tonga.[2]. Sikahema is also a two-time Emmy Award winner as part of his post-football television career. Although Vai Sikahema was a star athlete on the football team in high school and was approached regularly by college recruiters looking to sponsor him with full-ride scholarships, getting grades and test scores good enough to attend top-tier universities was a major concern, Elder Sikahema explained, noting he was a solid C and D student. 1 on iTunes. In May 2008, Sikahema accepted an open challenge from former baseball player Jose Canseco to fight him in a celebrity boxing match for $25,000. His parents later went to the Church College of Hawai'i (now Brigham Young University–Hawaii), leaving Sikahema and his siblings with relatives in Tonga. "So, you know, having that legacy of faith from my ancestors and understanding what they sacrificed that allowed me to have the gospel in my life … that is a huge, huge deal to me. Kolipoki has been an ongoing presence in the lives of many Tongans, said Elder Vai Sikahema, a native Tongan, former NFL player and recently sustained Area Seventy who is well acquainted with Elder Groberg. [6] He has been a resident of Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey together with his wife, the former Keala Heder, and four children. Leilene is Tony’s daughter. I feel like I'm very blessed because of the faith of all my ancestors.". His family later moved to the U.S. state of Arizona, settling in Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix. The first Tongan ever to play in the National Football League (NFL), he played running back and kickoff returner in the league for eight seasons, from 1986 to 1993. He was offered sportscasting jobs by TV stations in Phoenix and Philadelphia (he had done TV broadcasting work during his playing career). Like many members whose ancestors hail from the islands of the South Pacific, Finau finds strength in the stories of how they sacrificed to have the gospel in their lives. ", And missionary work is where that all started, he said. Sikahema was called as an Area Authority Seventy during the Saturday afternoon session of the 189th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. VAI SIKAHEMA Monday begins the last week Vai Sikahema will be part of the Channel 10 news team. "I've had to gain a testimony on my own, but having that testimony strengthened by my grandparents and my parents, keeps me going," he said. Tony Finau chips to the first green during the second round of the Tour Championship golf tournament, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018, in Atlanta. Feki Po’uha with his wife, Foli, and son Joe in August 1966 in Tonga. Sikahema is a member of LDS Church. I'm doing my missionary work through being an example to others. [3] Sikahema attended Mesa High School, where he played high school football. He had ties to both cities — he played for the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles (as well as the Green Bay Packers) — but his deeper roots were in Phoenix. This viral father-daughter duo just hit No. "All the blessings that have come to me in my life have come as a result, I believe, of missionary service," he said. In 1980 Sikahema enrolled at Brigham Young University, where he played college football for the BYU Cougars. In March 2010, Sikahema joined with The Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer John Gonzalez as the hosts of the Early Midday Show on Philadelphia radio station WPEN-FM 97.5 the Fanatic. Posted by 9 months ago. They were in the country to organize the first LDS stake in the country. SALT LAKE CITY — Former BYU and NFL running back Vai Sikahema was one of several new Area Seventies announced Saturday. That season, the Cougars posted a perfect 13–0 record, claiming college football's national championship. ", "I was raised that way," Finau said, reflecting on the influence that the Church and missionary work has had on his family throughout the last few generations. I see how faithful they were and that strong legacy that carries back generations, for me, is extremely humbling and is an extreme blessing.". The Canseco fight was held on 12 July 2008, in Atlantic City at the Bernie Robbins Stadium, and was dubbed The War at The Shore.

As a young missionary first arriving in Tonga in 1953, Elder John Groberg couldn't imagine the impact that the small island nation and its people would have on his life and on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tony Finau and Alayna Finau pose for a photo by a Tony Finau Foundation backdrop.

[8] He previously served as a stake president from 2014-2019, when he was called as an area seventy. Start your day with the top stories you missed while you were sleeping. My grandma shared many stories of his faith," Finau said, explaining that his grandmother on his father's side, Mele Na'ati Po'uha, was Feki Po'uha's younger sister. In his first 13 months there, serving with the native Tongan Feki Po'uha as his companion on the island of Niuatoputapu, Elder Groberg recalls baptizing only seven people. Copyright © 2020 Deseret News Publishing Company. Finau said just two weeks ago he received an email from Elder Groberg, asking if Finau would be willing to help promote his new film about missionary service in Tonga, "The Other Side of Heaven 2: Faith of Fire.". BYU's Vai Sikahema makes a run during the 1984 Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Calif., on Dec. 21, 1984. PGA golfer Tony Finau, right, and his father, Kelepi Finau, pose for a photo at Tony’s home in Lehi on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. Elder John Groberg poses with some of his children on the beach in Hufanga Lupe, Tonga in August 1968. The NBA’s newest owner has an unmistakable love of basketball. High school volleyball: Top seed Sky View wins final three games to upend Snow Canyon for 4A championship, San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski twice punishes Real Salt Lake, whose playoff hopes continue to slip away, High school volleyball: Earning every second, Union takes second consecutive state trophy, Inside Gail Miller’s decision to sell the Utah Jazz, ‘It is a blessing’: Zach Wilson humbled to be in Heisman consideration, says it is a ‘team award’ for BYU, 10 outrageous predictions for ‘The Mandalorian’ season 2, What the polls tell us, and what they can’t, In our opinion: As ‘pandemic depression’ sets in, take time to evaluate your mental health, Lauren Daigle headlines ‘Christmas Under the Stars’ on BYUtv, California Gov. The Utah Jazz announced a change of ownership from the Miller family to Ryan Smith on Wednesday.

The announcement came during the afternoon session of the 189th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Especially when it takes place among people with deep cultural respect for God. "(Finau) is a sincerely good member of the Church and … is a good example of the Savior.". In 1967, he accompanied the Sikahema family, along with many others from Tonga, on a trip to the Hamilton New Zealand Temple so the families could be sealed. Sikahema was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame on 22 November 2013. And for Elder Groberg, the growth of the Church in Tonga in the last six-plus decades is a strong testament of how that growth will continue around the world. Sikahema previously played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1986 to 1993, according to the Deseret News. "But it's amazing to me how those seven people, every one of them, has remained active," he said. After 26 years on Philadelphia television, all … The path for Sikahema’s church service in the East was paved by a decision he made after retiring from the NFL in 1994. "The power and influence of missionary work is just beyond our imaginations," he said. newsletter, Former BYU star Vai Sikahema urges education, honors family and heritage at Polynesian Football Hall of Fame ceremony, Inside the collaboration between the LDS Church and NAACP, Kalani Sitake, Vai Sikahema and Hank Smith scheduled to speak at Rootstech family history conference. "I think it shows that anything is possible to the Lord," said Elder Groberg, now an emeritus general authority, in a recent interview with the Church News. Sikahema was named to the Pro Bowl twice (in 1986 and 1987).

He played one more season after that (1981), serving mainly as a return specialist, before leaving school for two years to serve as a Mormon missionary in South Dakota. [5] Sikahema won by knockout in the first round and donated the $5,000 purse to the family of Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski, a fallen officer of the Philadelphia Police Department. It was here that they got legal resident status and were eventually able to bring his other siblings to join them. Surviving the station's sale to NBC, Sikahema later moved to weekdays, becoming a morning news anchor as well as the station's sports director. So I think that's the way that I, on an everyday basis, try to live the gospel and open doors to missionary work.". 1984 BYU Cougars football—consensus national champions, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Vai's View: A legal immigrant's take on immigration", "Vai Sikahema - NBCUniversal Media Village", "Bernard Fernandez: Conseco, Sikahema in celebrity boxing event in Atlantic City", "Interview with NBC's East Coast Sportscaster, Vai Sikahema – Part 4 – LDS", "Former BYU, NFL running back Vai Sikahema among new Area Seventies announced at General Conference", Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia web page, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vai_Sikahema&oldid=982371358, American television reporters and correspondents, American leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, National Football League replacement players, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2018, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2018, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 October 2020, at 18:38.

"He knew who I was because of the golf player I am … but he didn't know any kind of relation I had to Feki," Finau said. Vai Sikahema, left, poses with President Henry B. Eyring on Sept 17, 2011, at the groundbreaking of the Camden New Jersey Ward meetinghouse. [citation needed].

On 30 July 2020 the Philadelphia Inquirer reported "NBC10 anchor and former Philadelphia Eagle Vai Sikahema will retire from his morning news post later this year, the station confirmed Thursday."[4].

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