Samoans, it seems, were born to play football. They are large men with nimble feet and not shy of physical contact/ They play with intensity, an inherited trait from their South Pacific homeland of American Samoa where the warrior spirited is honored. Samoans attribute their nimble feet to cultural dances learned at an early age. Tony Paopao was indeed Samoan and football coached can never have enough large men with nimble feet who love contact.

Tony grew up in Oceanside, California where he first played for Oceanside High School. In one  of his great games at Oceanside against their rival, San Marcos, Paopao had 246 yards in 35 carries - another 100 were called back due to penalties - resulting in his three touchdowns and a 27-18 win.

Tony played one year at UCLA, two great years at Cal Lutheran, played briefly with the Seattle Seahawks and in the USFL which later folded. When his playing days were over, he pursued with passion a career that was built into his Polynesian genes: coaching.

He has coached running backs for over 32 years in numerous high schools, including his Alma Mater, Oceanside High, and has been honored by the Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches Association, the San Diego County Coaches Association and been the recipient of the Gib Dear Award for Coaching. He also coached running backs for San Diego State University and in Canada for the CFL, including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the British Columbia Lions and the Ottawa Renegades.