Al Noga (1983)

Former NFL player

What is Al Noga (1983) known for?

Born in Fagasa, American Samoa on September 16, 1965, Alapati "Al" Noga carved an impressive career in American football. He started gaining recognition during his high school years at Farrington High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, leading him to play college football at the University of Hawaii.

While at the University of Hawaii, Noga's exceptional performance led him to become an Outland Trophy finalist and an Associated Press first-team All-American in 1986. He was also named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Defensive Player of the Year in 1986 and was a 3-time First-team All-WAC from 1985 to 1987.

Following his college career, Al Noga was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the 71st pick in the third round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He played with the Vikings as a defensive end and defensive tackle from 1988 to 1992. Later, he spent a season each with the Washington Redskins in 1993 and the Indianapolis Colts in 1994, further establishing his presence in the league. His career in the NFL was highlighted by achieving 34.5 sacks, 1 interception, and scoring 1 touchdown.

After his NFL career, Noga continued playing in the Arena Football League for the San Jose SaberCats from 1996 to 1997, and for the Portland Forest Dragons in 1999. During his time with the SaberCats, he was named a second-team All-Arena in 1997.

His remarkable career and impact on the sport led to his recognition as one of the "50 Greatest Hawaii Sports Figures", securing the 46th position in the list published by Sports Illustrated in their December 1999 issue.

Off the field, he is married to Theresa Sagapolutele, and comes from a family of football players - both of his brothers, Pete and Niko, also played at the University of Hawaii, with Niko later playing in the NFL.

More about his career statistics can be found on NFL.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com, and ArenaFan.com.