NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / League / Warriors

Super Bowl-winning brothers part of US team behind a bid to buy the Warriors

Michael Burgess
By Michael Burgess
Senior Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·
15 Feb, 2018 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ma'ake Kemoeatu and brother Chris won the NFL Super Bowl championships with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. Photo / Getty Images

Ma'ake Kemoeatu and brother Chris won the NFL Super Bowl championships with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. Photo / Getty Images

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A pair of Super Bowl-winning brothers are two of the American football players behind the Tongan-American consortium trying to buy the Warriors.

The Herald understands Ma'ake and Chris Kemoeatu, who won the NFL championship with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers respectively, are part of the syndicate headed by Hawaiian politician Richard Fale.

Aside from their wide-ranging football exploits, the duo also made headlines four years ago when older brother Ma'ake, 39, donated one of his kidneys to Chris, 35, who needed a transplant after long-running kidney issues.

The transplant, which meant both had to give up their sporting careers, captured the public imagination in the United States.

The Kemoeatu brothers were born in Tonga, but moved to Oahu, Hawaii, with their family when young. They attended Kahuku High School, which has become famous for the number of NFL players it churns out.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ma'ake played 136 NFL games from 2002 to 2012. After graduating from the University of Utah, he was picked up by the Ravens, completing four seasons with the Baltimore club. That was followed by stints at the Carolina Panthers (2006-08) and Washington Redskins (2010) before a year's hiatus due to various injuries. He then made a memorable return to Baltimore as a 33-year-old, which was capped by a Super Bowl ring after the Ravens beat the 49ers 34-31 in 2012.

Younger brother Chris also studied at the University of Utah and was a sixth round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005.

He spent seven seasons with the Steelers, a period that coincided with one of the most successful periods in Pittsburgh history. He helped them to Super Bowl victories in his rookie year (defeating Seattle Seahawks) and 2008 (over Arizona Cardinals).

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Chris Kemoeatu. Photo / Getty
Chris Kemoeatu. Photo / Getty

Chris made a third Super Bowl appearance in 2011, when the Steelers lost 35-21 to the Green Bay Packers.

He then retired, after battling kidney problems since he was a teenager. When he was told he needed a transplant, Ma'ake — who is the oldest of seven siblings — immediately stepped up, even though it would mean a probable end to his own football career.

"I'm the oldest of seven kids and it's my responsibility to take care of the rest," he told American media at the time. "If my siblings need blood, it will be my blood. If they need a kidney, it will be my kidney. We both stopped our careers for this, but I'd have done it even if I was a rookie with the Ravens. I have to lead by example."

It wasn't without complications. Just before the scheduled surgery, doctors doing routine tests on Chris discovered heart problems, and he had to have a quadruple coronary bypass instead. After recovering, he also had to undergo dialysis to prepare for the kidney transplant.

Discover more

Sport

Twist in stunning Super Bowl moment

07 Feb 01:29 AM
Warriors

Warriors ownership battle turns ugly

01 Mar 06:03 AM

Both men arrived in hospital weighing close to 160kg and Ma'ake's kidney (around 13cm in length) was described by the surgeon as one of the biggest he had seen, the size of a "small football".

The younger Kemoeatu was also embroiled in controversy in 2015, when his lawyer filed a suit against the Steelers. Like most players in the NFL,

Chris had received numerous injections of Toradol, a highly powerful anti-inflammatory prescription drug used as a painkiller.

His lawyer alleged the club injected Chris without disclosing the possible long-term repercussions and also despite knowing he had a protein leak from his kidney when he joined.

The lawsuit claimed that the use of the drug had accelerated Chris' kidney issues.

Since retiring, the Kemoeatu brothers have been active with their business and foundation interests.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They have brought the Sonic fast food drive-in chain to Hawaii, have three other companies registered in their names and also run a charitable foundation.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Warriors

Sport

'Area of concern': Former Kiwi on Warriors' right-edge issue

Warriors

Capewell returns, back in centres as Warriors name side to face Knights

Warriors

'Next level' How Tanah Boyd passed first test as new Warriors No 7


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Warriors

'Area of concern': Former Kiwi on Warriors' right-edge issue
Sport

'Area of concern': Former Kiwi on Warriors' right-edge issue

Te Maire Martin and Richie Barnett react to the Warriors' win over the Tigers.

15 Jul 11:30 PM
Capewell returns, back in centres as Warriors name side to face Knights
Warriors

Capewell returns, back in centres as Warriors name side to face Knights

15 Jul 06:00 AM
'Next level' How Tanah Boyd passed first test as new Warriors No 7
Warriors

'Next level' How Tanah Boyd passed first test as new Warriors No 7

14 Jul 07:01 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP