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Tropic of Football

Tropic of Football

By Rob Ruck

The Long and Perilous Journey of Samoans to the NFL. The New Press, 2018.

0.0 / 0

19 mins read

16 Key insights

A brief summary of Tropic of Football

The surprising history of American Samoa’s participation in professional football, their intricate ties to the United States, and their ongoing battle to retain their culture in the face of external influence.

Key insights in Tropic of Football

1
What do you get from this book? The bittersweet journey of American Samoa’s rise in the NFL
2
American Samoans have a strength and resiliency that makes them ideally suited to playing football
3
Germany and America battled for control of Samoa leading up to World War I
4
World War II forged a connection between Samoans and the US military that transformed the island’s culture
5
The Kahuku Sugar Plantation on Hawaii’s North Shore helped popularize football on the island
6
Al Lolotai and Charlie Ane were star athletes who demonstrated that Samoans were capable of reaching great heights
7
Clarence Hall brought national attention to American Samoa’s decay, but Bob Apisa helped showcase the revival in progress
8
Jesse Sapolu and his coach Dick Tomey changed how people viewed the University of Hawaii’s football team
9
Oceanside Samoans adopted a culture that was part beach community, part Pacific Islander, and all football
10
Junior Seau was a beacon of hope for Samoans, but brain damage caused a tragic end to his life
11
While Samoan traditions began declining in the nineties, they remained strong in Hawaii, where football reigns
12
The game between Tafuna and Faga’itua highlights the differences in their changing culture
13
Health has rapidly declined in Samoa but there are those fighting to reestablish old traditions and improve lives
14
Summary of the key insights
15
Selected critiques in brief
16
Final word

Who should read Tropic of Football

Athletes • sports fans • history aficionados • historians and anthropologists • football players and coaches • anyone interested in foreign relations

About the author of Tropic of Football

Rob Ruck is a history professor, author, and documentarian. His films include the Emmy Award-winning Kings on the Hill: Baseball’s Forgotten Men. Ruck was on the 2006 National Baseball Hall of Fame committee responsible for adding minority players to the museum. His written work has appeared in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times.

author avatar

Rob Ruck

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