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Beni Tonga’s Gateway for Polynesian Players to Go to OSU Is as Strong as Ever

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Beni Tonga moved to the United States when he was 15, and he was perplexed with a particular American delicacy — salad.

Tonga, now a player development specialist for the Oklahoma State football team, had just moved to Utah from Tonga, an island country in the Pacific Ocean, and it was the first time he had seen anyone eat the greeny dish.

“That was a bit of a culture shock,” Tonga told PFB. “If you can imagine that, moving when you’re in high school and everybody looks different, everybody talks different, eat weird things.