One of the most dynamic playmakers in Canadian Football League history has received special recognition for his accomplishments.
Receiver and returner Chad Owens will be enshrined in the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2026, going in alongside linebacker Ray Maualuga and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna. He is the second player to be inducted who primarily played in the CFL, joining defensive end Junior Ah You.
Owens’ wife, Rena, shared a video of her husband’s emotional response to receiving his call to the Hall on Instagram. The first of the four-part video can be found here.
Nicknamed the Flyin’ Hawaiian, Owens set the professional football record for combined yards in a single season in 2012 and earned the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award, then captured the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto. He was named a divisional all-star five times, a CFL all-star on four occasions, and the league’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2010.
The Honolulu native holds the distinction of being the third player in CFL history to lead the league in receiving yards and combined yards. Owens went on to become the first professional football player to tally at least 3,000 combined yards in three consecutive seasons. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2024.
Over a 105-game CFL career spanning nine seasons (2009-2017) with the Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Saskatchewan Roughriders, Owens caught 521 passes for 6,217 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also produced 10,309 return yards and eight majors.
Prior to his professional career, Owens was a standout at the University of Hawaii and graduated as the school’s all-time leader with 5,451 all-purpose yards. He was named a second-team All-American in 2004 after leading the NCAA in receiving touchdowns.
Established in 2013, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame honours the greatest players, coaches, and contributors of Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, or Maori ancestry, among others. This year’s selections were chosen from a group of 100 nominees and eight finalists by a panel comprised of chairman Jack Thompson, coaches Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil, former NFL players Olin Kreutz, Kevin Mawae, Ray Schoenke, and Manti Te`o, sportscaster Neil Everett, and reporter Steve Wyche, before being voted on by all living inductees.
Owens and the other inductees will be honoured during Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend from January 16 to 18. Events include the Polynesian Bowl high school all-star game, enshrinement ceremony, and celebration dinner.
