Esera Tuaolo
Encyclopedia
Esera Tavai Tuaolo is a retired American
professional football
player. He was a defensive lineman in the NFL
for nine years.
ancestry, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii
, and was raised in poverty in a banana
-farming family. His father died when Tuaolo was ten years of age.
at Oregon State University
and was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha
fraternity. He was selected in the 1991 NFL Draft
. Nicknamed "Mr. Aloha", Tuaolo played nose tackle for several teams in his career, reaching the Super Bowl in 1999 while playing with the Atlanta Falcons
. He also played for the Carolina Panthers
, Jacksonville Jaguars
, Minnesota Vikings
and Green Bay Packers
during his career.
He also recorded the last tackle of football legend John Elway
.
on HBO's Real Sports
. This made him the third former NFL player to come out, after David Kopay
and Roy Simmons
. He has since worked with the NFL to attempt to combat homophobia
in the league and is a board member of the Gay and Lesbian Athletics Foundation
. He also made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
in 2004 to share his coming-out story as well.
In 2006, Tuaolo sang the national anthem at the opening ceremony of the Gay Games VII
, a quadrennial Olympics-style event. During his career with the Packers, Tuaolo once sang the anthem before a game against the Chicago Bears. Kopay administered the official's oath during the opening ceremony. Also that year, he testified at the State Legislature Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in opposition to an anti-gay-marriage bill.
Tuaolo's relationship with Mitchell Wherley ended in July 2007.
Tuaolo's autobiography, Alone In The Trenches: My Life As A Gay Man In The NFL, was released in Spring, 2006. (ISBN 1-4022-0505-8) He also appeared on The Tyra Banks Show
talking about his becoming open about his homosexuality to the NFL and speaking out against their "Don't ask, don't tell" policy which is similarly held by U.S. Scouts groups
and the U.S. military services.
Tuaolo was arrested for domestic violence in June 2010 in North Oaks, Minnesota
. He was released on $2000 bail with a court date set for August. Tuaolo stated that the person he was accused of assaulting was his current boyfriend and that it was a personal matter that was overblown by the media.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He was a defensive lineman in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for nine years.
Early life
Tuaolo, who is of SamoanSamoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
ancestry, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, and was raised in poverty in a banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
-farming family. His father died when Tuaolo was ten years of age.
Football career
He played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
and was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
fraternity. He was selected in the 1991 NFL Draft
1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
. Nicknamed "Mr. Aloha", Tuaolo played nose tackle for several teams in his career, reaching the Super Bowl in 1999 while playing with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He also played for the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
during his career.
He also recorded the last tackle of football legend John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
.
Personal life
In 2002, having retired from sports, he announced to the public that he is gay, coming outComing out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
on HBO's Real Sports
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel is a monthly sports newsmagazine on HBO that debuted on April 2, 1995. The show was "spawned by the fact that sports have changed dramatically, that it's no longer just fun and games, and that what happens off the field, beyond the scores, is worthy of some serious...
. This made him the third former NFL player to come out, after David Kopay
David Kopay
David Marquette Kopay is a former American football running back in the National Football League who in 1975 became one of the first professional athletes to come out as gay....
and Roy Simmons
Roy Simmons
Roy Franklin Simmons is a former American football player who played for the National Football League. He played offensive lineman for the New York Giants and then with the Washington Redskins during Super Bowl XVIII in 1984. In 1992, he came out of the closet as gay on the Phil Donahue Show...
. He has since worked with the NFL to attempt to combat homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
in the league and is a board member of the Gay and Lesbian Athletics Foundation
Gay and Lesbian Athletics Foundation
The Gay and Lesbian Athletics Foundation or GLAF is a non-profit organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its purpose is to increase acceptance and visibility of LGBT athletes in the professional, amateur, and recreational athletics communities....
. He also made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
in 2004 to share his coming-out story as well.
In 2006, Tuaolo sang the national anthem at the opening ceremony of the Gay Games VII
Gay Games VII
The 2006 Gay Games , colloquially called the Chicago Gaymes, is part of a family of international sports and cultural festivals called Gay Games, sanctioned by the Federation of Gay Games and organized by the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community of the host city of Chicago, Illinois in the...
, a quadrennial Olympics-style event. During his career with the Packers, Tuaolo once sang the anthem before a game against the Chicago Bears. Kopay administered the official's oath during the opening ceremony. Also that year, he testified at the State Legislature Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in opposition to an anti-gay-marriage bill.
Tuaolo's relationship with Mitchell Wherley ended in July 2007.
Tuaolo's autobiography, Alone In The Trenches: My Life As A Gay Man In The NFL, was released in Spring, 2006. (ISBN 1-4022-0505-8) He also appeared on The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show, also known as and shortened to Tyra or The Tyra Show, is an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks. The last new episode aired on Friday, May 28, 2010.-2005-2009: Syndication:...
talking about his becoming open about his homosexuality to the NFL and speaking out against their "Don't ask, don't tell" policy which is similarly held by U.S. Scouts groups
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and the U.S. military services.
Tuaolo was arrested for domestic violence in June 2010 in North Oaks, Minnesota
North Oaks, Minnesota
North Oaks is a suburb north of Saint Paul in Ramsey County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 4,469 at the 2010 census.Formerly a gated community that now posts private access signage, all land is owned by homeowners with the North Oaks Home Owners Association maintaining all...
. He was released on $2000 bail with a court date set for August. Tuaolo stated that the person he was accused of assaulting was his current boyfriend and that it was a personal matter that was overblown by the media.