After his football career was over, Lolotai worked as a professional wrestler throughout Australasia, at one time holding a belt as Hawaiian heavyweight wrestling champion.
Lolotai remained with the Dons until the end of the league in 1949. He played in a total of 59 games with 32 starts across the two professional leagues, additionally recording one interception with Washington in 1945.[5]
Lolotai (below) on the program for a November 2, 1947 game with the rival San Francisco 49ers.
Wrestling career
After his time in pro football, Lolotai worked as a professional wrestler in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Samoa.[6] He at one time held the title of Hawaiian heavyweight wrestling champion.[6]
Athletic director
Lolotai would return to school and graduate with a Master's degree in physical education from Colorado A&M, working his way through school as a line coach for the Rams football team.[6] With the founding of Church College of Hawaii in 1955, serve as its first Athletic Director.[6] He mentored many of the young Samoan football players coming up in the Laie community to keep up with their studies, get into good schools, and helped set them up for their future.
A British citizen from birth, Lolotai renounced his British citizenship in 1961 to become a naturalized American citizen.[6] He was the founder of the American Samoan Community Association and served a term as president of Big Brothers of Hawaii.[6]
In his later years, he returned to Samoa at the request of its government, helping the establish its high school football program, for which he continued to coach until his death.[2]
Death and legacy
Al Lolotai died September 30, 1990, in Pago Pago, American Samoa. He was 70 years old at the time of his death.
He was survived by his wife, Matilda Lolotai, five sons, and a daughter.[6]
One of his sons, Tiloi, also attended 'Iolani School and then went to play football for Colorado as a defensive tackle, lettering from 1974 to 1976.
