The list of NFL players from Hawaii who played either high school or college football in the islands is not a small one, but with just four teams left in the NFL playoffs, only one Hawaii tie remains.

Philadelphia Eagles right guard Isaac Seumalo, who started all 17 games for the team in the regular season, was born on Oct. 29, 1993 in Honolulu.

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His father, Joe Seumalo, was a defensive lineman for the University of Hawaii football team from 1985 to 1988 and is currently the defensive line coach at San Jose State. His coaching career began in earnest nearly 30 years ago as an assistant coach at Kaiser High School in 1994.

Joe Seumalo coached at Kaiser from 1994 to 1998 and was also a graduate assistant at UH from 1999 to 2000 as part of June Jones’ first staff. He was also a GA during Timmy Chang‘s freshman season.

Isaac Seumalo graduated from Corvallis High School in Oregon and played college football for Oregon State, where Joe Seumalo was coaching at the time. After getting selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, he has been a staple with the franchise ever since.

Although Seumalo is the only active player, former University of Hawaii standout receiver Marcus Kemp remains on the practice squad for the Kansas City Chiefs.


Sunday will be Seumalo’s second NFC championship game, where the 2018 Super Bowl champion Eagles will host the San Francisco 49ers. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. on KHON2.

Sunday’s game will be a true family affair as Isaac’s sister, Jessi, who was also born in Hawaii, serves as the player personnel coordinator in San Francisco’s scouting department.

The winner of Sunday’s NFC championship game advances to face the AFC champion in the Super Bowl, which will also air live on KHON2 at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12.