It’s in their blood to be on the water.
When their busy schedules allow, a group of Boise State football players — some born thousands of miles away, some here in Idaho, united by a common heritage — bond together.
The ever-growing number of Polynesian-bred Broncos gather at Quinn’s Pond when summer temperatures soar.
“We like to go and try stand-up paddleboarding,” senior defensive tackle Daniel Auelua said. “But most of us are too big, so we end up just lying down on them.”
On Auelua’s side of the ball, the Boise State defense is dotted with players whose families hail from Tonga, Samoa and Hawaii.