Manu Tuiasosopo, Former Seahawk, Is Publisher Of Samoan Newsmagazine

WOODINVILLE - He was a defensive stalwart for the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks, keeping offensive linemen at bay with quick moves and sheer physical strength.

That was Manu Tuiasosopo a few years ago. Today, the former 49er and Seahawk star is taking an offensive stance for the Samoan community - in the publishing world.

As editor and publisher of Fofoga, he runs the only Samoan newsmagazine distributed on the mainland.

Published in both English and Samoan, the monthly Fofoga - Samoan for "Voice" - features profiles, articles on parenting and health, even public announcements on upcoming weddings and luaus. At 2,000-plus, the tabloid's circulation is small but reaches people in seven states, as well as the District of Columbia and American Samoa.

Not that the 34-year-old former athlete has ever had a penchant for the publishing world. With five children of his own, he says he just wants to get out a positive message to Samoan kids.

"Whether we're writing about a garbage collector or a nurse or a CEO, I want kids to realize they can succeed in something other than sports," he said during a recent interview in his Woodinville home.

Wearing shorts, a T-shirt and his Super Bowl ring, he recounted how he got the idea for a newsmagazine a couple of years ago. He saw other groups promoting positive role models through ethnic newspapers and magazines, but the Samoan community pointing to athletes and little else.

Tuiasosopo worries that many Samoan youths still see professional sports as the only way "up" in American society, "that it's the only way to be someone."

"What I want to see are Samoan-owned businesses, not just mom-and-pop stores that serve mainly Samoans, but Burger Kings and gas stations that cater to the whole community."

The community, he said, would then have more economic resources and leaders to build on.

Born and raised in Southern California, he recalls the days when sports really did seem the only route to success. He used to revere Robert "Bob" Apisa, a former All-American at Michigan State University, who helped carry the team to the Rose Bowl in 1966.

Tuiasosopo himself went on to a football career as a nose tackle, first with the UCLA Bruins in the mid-1970s. In 1979, the Seahawks drafted him, and from there, he went on to Super Bowl fame with the 49ers until they released him four years ago.

In retrospect, Tuiasosopo figures he put too much faith in pro sports without investing enough in the future. Like other pro athletes, he found himself searching for a new purpose in life when the rush ended.

"I came home and cried," he said. "I thought, `What do I do now?' "

After a dissatisfying three years in the insurance business, Tuiasosopo pursued publishing. He issued the first edition of Fofoga in November and continues to finance it with his own money.

"Someday, I want a glossy magazine that would sit right next to Sports Illustrated, or Time or Ebony," he said. "But right now, with costs, we'll go this route."

He hasn't left sports completely. This fall, there's a good chance he'll coach football at Rainier Beach High School, which has a high percentage of Samoan students.

"Since we're in the first generation, we've gone through the system and know how to use it," Tuiasosopo said. "So hopefully in the next 15 years we'll be able to do what other individuals in minority groups have done for their communities."