There was a time when Jesse Sapolu was in search of an identity.
He had played football at Damien Memorial his freshman year, and McKinley High his sophomore year.
When he arrived at Farrington High as a junior, he recalled: "I was searching for myself."
Sapolu said with the guidance of Farrington head coach Al Espinda, and assistants Harry Pacarro and Gordon Miyashiro, he soon began to mature as a person and excel as a football player.
"They sat me down and grounded into me I had potential to do something special," Sapolu said.
Sapolu, a 1979 Farrington graduate, later played for the University of Hawai'i (1979 to 1982) and spent his entire NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers (1983 to 1997) as a center and offensive guard. He is one of six 49ers who has four Super Bowl rings (1984, 1988, 1989, 1994).
On July 22, Sapolu and five others will be part of the second class inducted into the Governors' Hall of Fame at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom.
"I wasn't sure Farrington had one," he said during a phone interview from his home in Orange County, Calif. "I was very pleased to receive the letter to inform me (on his induction)."
Sapolu has already received the highest honor for two other organizations.
"I was inducted into the Hawai'i Sports Hall of Fame 10 years ago and the University of Hawai'i Hall of Honor six years ago," he said.
Sapolu, 47, lives in Orange County with his wife Lisa and four children, and serves as the 49ers alumni community relations' coordinator. One of his responsibilities is attracting corporate sponsors to purchase luxury suites at Monster Park.
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