Washington State defensive tackle Hercules Mata’afa has been named the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame selection committee announced Tuesday morning.
Mata’afa, a junior from Lahaina, Hawaii, beat out four other finalists — UW’s Vita Vea, Oregon State’s Manase Hungalu, Virginia Tech’s Andrew Motuapuaka and Hawaii’s Jahlani Tavai — for the award. He will be presented with the award at the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame dinner on Jan. 19, 2018.
Mata’afa led the Pac-12 in tackles-for-loss (21.5) and sacks (9.5) this season, starting all 12 games for WSU, and finishing with 43 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.