| No. 72, 77 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1948-12-30)December 30, 1948 (age 76) Faleniu, American Samoa |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 233 lb (106 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Kahuku (Kahuku, Hawaii) |
| College | Arizona State |
| NFL draft | 1972: 17th round, 425th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| 1972–1981 | Montreal Alouettes |
| 1983 | Chicago Blitz |
| 1984 | New Orleans Breakers |
| 1985 | Arizona Outlaws |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Canadian Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1997) | |
Miki "Junior"Ah You (born December 30, 1948) is an American Samoan former professionalfootball player who played primarily at thedefensive end position. Ah You enjoyed most of his professional career success with theCanadian Football League (CFL)Montreal Alouettes, from1972 to1981, and was a former collegiate standout atArizona State University. Ah You's jersey #77 is one of tenretired by the Alouettes, and he was inducted into theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 1997. Ah You is also a member of the Arizona State Sports Hall of Fame and the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame. In 2006, Ah You was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL'sTop 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports networkTSN.[1]
Born inAmerican Samoa, Ah You and his family later moved toHawaii, where Ah You excelled inhigh school basketball andfootball atKahuku High School. Ah You graduated from high school in 1969, and left Hawaii to play college football atArizona State.
Ah You was named co-outstanding player in theSun Devils' 1970Peach Bowl victory overNorth Carolina and outstanding defensive player in the 1971 victory overFlorida State in the inauguralFiesta Bowl. Ah You was a three-time All-Western Athletic Conference selection atdefensive end. In 1971, he was selected as aUnited Press International second-teamAll-American. In 1972, Ah You was selected to play in the post-seasonHula Bowl.
Following college, Ah You was drafted in the 17th round (425th overall pick) of the1972 NFL draft by theNFLNew England Patriots. Ah You spurned the Patriots and the NFL, opting to join the CFLMontreal Alouettes prior to the start of the1972 CFL season.
According to a 2007 interview, Ah You joined the Alouettes in part due to the Patriots' desire for him to play thelinebacker position, rather than Ah You's natural position at defensive end:
(The NFL) wanted to move me to linebacker. In Canada, they let me play where I was accustomed to.[2]
Ah You playeddefensive end with the Alouettes for nine seasons (1972-1981), helping the team win twoGrey Cup championships in1974 and1977. Ah You won theGrey Cup Most Valuable Player (Defence) in the1974 championship game, and was a CFL All-Star in two seasons (1976 and1979). He helped recruitClifton Alapa andEletise Fiatoa to the Alouettes.[3]
Following his final season with the Alouettes in1981, Ah You was lured byGeorge Allen to play in theUnited States Football League, where Ah You played 2 more professional football seasons. In 1983, he suited up with the USFL'sChicago Blitz and then was traded to theNew Orleans Breakers prior to the 1984 campaign. In 1985, Ah You finished his career with theArizona Outlaws retiring mid-season on April 22, 1984.
Ah You retired after the end of the1985 USFL season with the Outlaws, who were then coached by Ah You's former college coach,Arizona State coachFrank Kush.[2]
Ah You is a member of the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame. He is currently a prominent citizen ofLaie, Hawaii. Ah You currently devotes his time to community activities such as the "Junior Ah You Basketball Tournament" and the "Junior Ah You Christmas Football Bowl."
Ah You has many relatives who have played college football. His nephewC.J. Ah You played for theUniversity of Oklahoma and was selected in the seventh round of the2007 NFL draft by theBuffalo Bills. Nephew Jonathan JT Mapu played for theUniversity of Tennessee and was a free agent with theWashington Redskins. Nephews EJ Reid and Tori Taulogo played forUtah State University. EJ Reid was a free agent with theSt. Louis Rams.[4] Nephew Eldon Tuiasosopo plays forDixie State University, and Eldon's brother Isaiah plays forAustin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. Nephew Matt Ah You played atBYU from 2004 until 2008. Ah You's brother Charles lettered atBYU (1975–78). Ah You's sons, Kingsley (1992–1993) andHarland (1995–97) also played atBYU. Sons Miki Junior and Quin played forDixie State College, and son Joshua played inArizona forMesa Community College.
Ah You also runs a restaurant in Kahuku (on the island of O'ahu) named Tita's Grill. With his son Kingsley, he co-owns and operates a company and website that showcases local Hawaiian high school, youth, and amateur sports.[2]