Former University of Hawai’i football player Chad Owens has been named as one of three inductees into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The announcement was made in Honolulu, with Owens joining Rey Maualuga and Brandon Manumaleuna in this year’s class.
The enshrinement ceremony for the new class will take place during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, scheduled for January 16-18, 2026.
Owens played four seasons with the Rainbow Warriors from 2001 to 2004. He was inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor in 2025, and is also a member of both the Hawai’i Sports Hall of Fame and Canadian Football League (CFL) Hall of Fame.
During his college career, Owens earned Freshman All-American honors as a return specialist in 2001 after breaking and tying three NCAA records. In his senior year in 2004, he was named a second-team All-American and received the Mosi Tatupu Award.
After college, Owens was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He went on to play nine seasons in the CFL, where he won the league’s Most Outstanding Player Award in 2012 after setting a record for combined yards in a single season. Owens was recognized as a four-time CFL All-Star and twice named Most Outstanding Special Teams Player before being inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 2024.
The selection process for this year’s inductees involved over 100 nominees and eight finalists reviewed by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
Owens becomes the ninth former Rainbow Warrior to be inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. Previous inductees include Ken Niumatalolo (2014), Jesse Sapolu (2015), Mark Tuinei (2015), Ma’a Tanuvasa (2017), Alapati “Al” Noga (2021), Falaniko “Niko” Noga (2021), Tommy Kaulukukui (2022), and Harry Montague-Field (2023).
“The Class of 2026 will be formally enshrined during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend on January 16-18, 2026.”
