Player Profile: Ma’a Gaoteote

Photo: Gerard Martinez USCFootball.com, 247Sports

School: St. John Bosco

Hometown: Halawa, HI

Personal Relationships: Raised in Halawa, Hawaii, Ma’a moved to Las Vegas in 2017. His older brother, Palaie, signed with USC football in 2018.  His uncle, Ma’a Tanuvasa, showed him the path of becoming both a great football player and great leader.  His family is everything (next to God). The chance to represent his family and build on his legacy in the Polynesian Bowl was a dream for him . His grandmother and much of his family are still in Halawa so the opportunity to play in front of them was a priceless experience.

Key Quote: When speaking about his future, Ma’a says his “goal is never to gain recognition or accolades; it’s always just to keep my head down, grind, and get better every day.”

Social Media: Tweets are largely composed of support for other players and teammates and thanking colleges for recruiting offers.  He’s also a man of faith as he has the scripture reference “Philippians 4:13” in his Twitter profile.

Off-the-Field: Ma’a looks at the bigger picture for he and his brother’s success, saying “to be two Polynesian players the way that we're at right now is just trying to trailblaze everything for the rest of the Polynesian kids. I think that's the biggest goal for us too.”

Twitter: @MaaGaoteote