Vai Sikahema Vai S . Sikahema ( born 29 August 1962 ) is a Tonga n former American football player and television news reporter . 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 played college football for the Brigham Young University Cougars , and was drafted by the St . Louis Cardinals ( now the Arizona Cardinals ) in the tenth round of the 1986 NFL Draft . He also played for the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring after the 1993 season . Since retiring he has served as Sports Director for WCAU , the NBC owned - and - operated station in Philadelphia , where he has been since 1994 . Sikahema is an older cousin of fellow Tongan NFL player Deuce Lutui . Early life . Sikahema was born in Nukuʻalofa , the capital of Tonga . His parents went to the Church College of Hawai ' i ( now Brigham Young University - Hawaii ) , leaving Vai and his siblings with relatives in Tonga . After a year of working at the Polynesian Cultural Center they had enough money to bring Vai to join them . His family later moved to the U . S . state of Arizona , settling in Mesa , a suburb of Phoenix . It was here that they got legal resident status and were eventually able to bring his other siblings to join them . Sikahema attended Mesa High School , where he played high school football . College career . In 1980 Sikahema enrolled at Brigham Young University , where he played college football for the BYU Cougars . 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 . 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 . Sikahema returned to BYU in 1984 . That season , the Cougars posted a perfect 13 – 0 record , claiming college football ' s national championship . By the end of his senior year ( 1985 ) , he held an NCAA record for most punt returns ( 153 ) in a career . Professional career . Sikahema was drafted by the St . Louis Cardinals in the 1986 NFL Draft . As such he became the first Tongan ever to play in the National Football League . He was a special teams standout for several teams , including the St . Louis / Phoenix Cardinals , Green Bay Packers , and Philadelphia Eagles . He was named to the Pro Bowl twice ( in 1986 and 1987 ) . It was during his stint with the Eagles that he came up with the famous " goalpost punching " stunt after scoring a punt return touchdown in a 1992 game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium . Broadcasting career . Upon retiring , Sikahema was hired by then - CBS owned and operated television station WCAU in Philadelphia to do weekend sports . Surviving the station ' s sale to NBC , Sikahema later moved to weekdays and is currently the sports director . Personal life . Sikahema ' s younger cousin is Deuce Lutui , who currently plays guard for the Arizona Cardinals . Another cousin , Reno Mahe , also played for the Philadelphia Eagles . Sikahema ' s nephew by marriage is actor Jon Heder , star of the films " Napoleon Dynamite " and " Blades of Glory " . 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 . Canseco claims to have earned black belts in Kung Fu , Taekwondo , and has experience in Muay Thai , while Sikahema , who grew up wanting to be a professional boxer , had fought 80 amateur bouts while younger . 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 . 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 . Sikahema is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints . He has been a resident of Mount Laurel Township , New Jersey together with his wife and four children . 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 . Vai Sikahema was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame on November 22 , 2013 .