For better or worse, the Hall of Fame is an opportunity for the game of football to honor not only the player, but also his personhood, and his legacy. A lot of times, that personhood, and that legacy, transcends the self, which we saw from Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu when he gave his induction speech on Saturday night.
He carries with him the legacy and the future of Samoans and all Polynesian people who have been, are, and will be a part of the game. He has already inspired a generation of young Polynesians, and will continue to do so, seeing him, and his hair, immortalized in the form of a bronze bust, with a face that is different from most others surrounding him.