Joseph F. Onosai (born December 10, 1965) is a former
strongman
Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...
competitor and
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
player. Onosai was drafted by the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL)'s
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. He reached the finals of the
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decemb ...
competition twice (1994 and 1995).
Early years
Onosai attended
University Laboratory School
University Laboratory School (ULS) is a charter school in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States, and it serves students from grades K-12. Prior to 2002, the school was known as the Education Laboratory School or University High School (for grades 9 ...
where he was a 240-pound
fullback. As a junior, he averaged 13.8 yards per carry. In 1982 as a senior, he helped the Pac-Five football team win its first Interscholastic League of Honolulu and Prep Bowl championship (predecessor to the state tournament) and was named The Advertiser's ILH Offensive Player of the Year.
He received a scholarship to play for the
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system and houses the main offic ...
, where he was converted into an
offensive guard
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive (military), type of military operation
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative (Netherlands), Socialist Alternative
* Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tende ...
as a freshman. He was named a starter as a sophomore. The next year because of injuries on the offensive line, he also started at tackle and center, including a game against
Long Beach State University
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), also known in athletics as Long Beach State University (LBSU), is a public teaching-focused institution in Long Beach, California, United States. The 322-acre campus is the second largest in the ...
where he played all three position. Sometimes he was used as a fullback in short-yardage situations.
As a senior, he was moved to
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
and received honorable-mention
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
honors. He was a second-team
All-Western Athletic Conference performer in 1985 and 1986.
Professional career
Onosai was selected by the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
in the sixth round (151st overall) of the
1987 NFL draft
The 1987 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 28–29, 1987, at the Marriot Ma ...
to play
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
. During a practice in training camp, he suffered a serious neck injury and was subsequently diagnosed with a narrow spinal column condition (
cervical spinal stenosis
Cervical spinal stenosis is a bone disease involving the narrowing of the spinal canal at the level of the neck. It is frequently due to chronic degeneration, but may also be congenital. Treatment is frequently surgical.
Cervical spinal stenosis ...
), which forced him to announce his early retirement on August 1,
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
. It would eventually take four days for the strength in his legs to return and two years to get his upper-body strength back to normal.
World's Strongest Man competition
He participated in the
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decemb ...
competition for many years. At 6-feet-4 and 400 pounds, he developed a 65-inch chest, 22-inch biceps and the power lift was his specialty. He made it to the finals twice, in 1994 and 1995.
Personal records
*Leviathan Press (incline log press) – x 23 reps (1995 World's Strongest Man, group 1) (Joint-World Record)
*Flintstone barbell push press (behind the neck) – (1995 World's Strongest Man)
Personal life
Onosai has been a pastor at Destiny Christian Church since 2011.
References
External links
*
Destined to make a difference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Onosai, Joe
1965 births
Living people
Samoan strength athletes
American sportspeople of Samoan descent
Players of American football from American Samoa
Players of American football from Honolulu
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football players
Dallas Cowboys players
American football fullbacks
University Laboratory School (Honolulu, Hawaii) alumni
Pacific Islander American players of American football