His family tree includes several NFL players. This Boise State RB could join them soon
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Your 2022 Boise State football guide
The Broncos open the 2022 football season at Oregon State on Sept. 3, and we’ve got all the info you need to get up to speed before kickoff — from potential storylines to bold predictions.
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His family tree includes several NFL players. This Boise State RB could join them soon
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Boise State running back George Holani will have to make a choice after this season: return for another year of college football or try to join a long list of family members who made it to the NFL.
Holani has at least 10 relatives who were either on an NFL roster or are competing for a spot this year.
“It means a lot to look back and see what my family has accomplished,” Holani told the Idaho Statesman. “Going to the NFL is my dream, and it’s a blessing to have family members who have been in the league and set an example for me.”
Perhaps the most recognizable name on the list of Holani’s family members who played in the NFL is five-time Pro Bowl selection Haloti Ngata, a defensive tackle who suited up for the Ravens, Lions and Eagles. He retired in 2019.
Holani said he rarely missed any of his family member’s games on TV, but he followed the career of Roy Helu, a cousin, the closest. Helu was a running back for the Commanders and Raiders from 2011 to 2016, but Holani remembers watching him play at San Ramon Valley High School in California.
Holani’s family lived in Northern California when Helu was at San Ramon Valley, and they were in the stands almost every Friday night. They followed along from a distance as he went on to star at Nebraska, and Holani said he’ll never forget how proud he was when Washington picked Helu in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
“I don’t think I missed any of his games when he was with the (Commanders),” Holani said. “I really looked up to him, and I loved watching him hurdling and juking dudes.”
NFL family tree for Boise State back
Other former NFL players in Holani’s family tree are: linebacker Alfred Pupunu, who played in Super Bowl XXIX with the Chargers; defensive tackle Stephen Paea, who posted a record 49 reps on the bench press at the 2011 NFL Combine; linebacker Koa Misi, who spent seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins; and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Siaosi “Fili” Moala.
Holani’s family members competing for roster spots on NFL teams this year are Seahawks defensive tackle Bryan Mone, Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou, Bills wide receiver Neil Pau’u and even former Boise State wide receiver Khalil Shakir — a distant cousin on Holani’s mother’s side. He has been the Bills’ top receiver this preseason.
Holani said he has dreamed of playing in the NFL since he first strapped on pads in Pop Warner, and that dream is within reach.
Holani admits that if this season resembles his freshman campaign, when he posted 1,014 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, it likely will be the final year of his college career. For now, he’s just focused on staying healthy all season.
“I’m not focused on how many yards I get or anything like that,” said Holani, who is on track to graduate in May 2023. “I want to win a Mountain West championship, go to a bowl game and get my degree.”
A summer of work and football preparation
For someone who isn’t thinking about the next step in his career, Holani spent this summer training like a man preparing for his final chapter at Boise State, according to his father.
When he wasn’t at the gym lifting weights, Holani was working with his speed coach, Gary Cablayan.
“I thought he would take a break and come home some, but he just kept working,” Saia Holani said of his son. “We’re really excited to see him on the field healthy so all his hard work can pay off.”
Boise State’s coaches have gone to great lengths to keep Holani healthy this summer. He has barely seen any live reps during practice, and he was limited in both of the Broncos’ scrimmages, although that didn’t stop him from scoring on a 75-yard touchdown run last weekend.
“In camp, we don’t need to see George in a live setting,” Boise State offensive coordinator Tim Plough said. “We all know he’s good. So the challenge for us as coaches is how do we find that sweet spot where he’s getting enough reps to improve without putting wear and tear on his body?”
Keeping Holani healthy enough to play 13 or 14 games is as important to his future as it is to the Broncos’ success this season, Plough said.
“The offense starts with George and it runs through him,” Plough said. “He’s an NFL running back in my opinion, but he has to do it consistently. The only abilities that matter at that level are availability and dependability.”
‘A violent runner’ who is trying to stay healthy
When he has seen practice reps in camp, it hasn’t been pretty for the defenders trying to tackle him, Boise State head coach Andy Avalos said.
“George is a violent runner,” Avalos said, “but it’s imperative that he understands that he has to take care of his body well enough to be ready to go on game day.”
Holani said he feels better than ever and is excited to pick up where he left off. He rushed for more than 100 yards in three straight games last November, including a 40-14 win at Fresno State, and added 70 yards on the ground in the season finale at San Diego State. He led the Broncos with 569 rushing yards in 2021 despite missing three games because of a hamstring injury.
Though he’s taking precautions ahead of the season, Holani said the truth is that he knows only one way to play the game.
“As running backs, we have one speed: full speed,” he said.
This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 12:40 PM.
