In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, CalBears.com features Cal Director of Football Recruiting and Tongan American Benji Palu.
 
    Cal's Director of Football Recruiting Benji Palu seems to be the life of the party at nearly every team function. He doesn't get much alone time – and wouldn't want it any other way.

    With his recent move to his own office, one of Palu's biggest challenges might just be navigating a little bit of time by himself. But two inviting and super comfortable chairs in his new digs should keep that from becoming an issue.

    It has always been all about people for the first-generation American whose family immigrated to the Bay Area from the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific in the late 1970s and began the Free Church of Tonga in America in San Mateo.

    Fietonga Penisini "Benji" Palu, born in 1995 to Mele and Peni Palu, was always around family growing up and at times lived in a household that reached as many as 15 or 20 relatives living under the same roof.

    "As Pacific Islanders, we're a collectivist society because of cultural and historical factors that shape our way of life," Palu said. "We prioritize the well-being of the community over individuality. Concepts like family, respect for elders and communal decision-making are highly valued."

    "Our family did not come from much, but we were blessed," Palu added. "Our motto was 'lotu mo ngaue' (pray and work), which emphasizes the importance of hard work, dedication while seeking guidance and strength, and support through prayer. Blessings for us came in the form of family and work ethic through prayer. Faith, family and football – that was my upbringing."

    Palu had plenty of opportunities to rely upon his upbringing during his journey from a youngster in nearby San Mateo to his current role with the Cal football program. Some of his more significant challenges included avoiding the occasional trouble he found himself in as a teenager, navigating his way through life as a collegiate football student-athlete, and most recently figuring out what he wanted to do in his post-playing days.

    In every situation, it seemed like there was someone from his Polynesian community to help him figure it out.

    Palu credits his aunt Jacquie and uncle Moses with helping him get through the high school troubles, and once he arrived at Cal after two seasons at the College of San Mateo, he had a group of fellow Pacific Islander teammates to encourage him and give him a sense of community.

    Palu graduated from Cal in May of 2017, and while he was trying to determine what he wanted to do next, there were bills to pay. It was a piece of tough love that Palu got from his uncle Moses that arguably made the biggest impact on his life.

    "He said, 'I'm going to teach you, but I won't do it for you,'" Palu remembered. "'You have to want it more than I do. It's going to be tough, but tough times don't last, tough guys do!'"

    Palu showed how much he wanted it by doing whatever was necessary to make ends meet. He did whatever he could do to make money, working a multitude of labor-intensive jobs. They didn't pay much and were far from glamorous, but Palu believes they set him up for success.

    "It humbled me," Palu said.

    At the same time, Palu continued to pursue his dream of working in the football world and volunteered for the Cal program, taking on any task asked of him. At one point, he thought he might get into coaching but soon figured out that recruiting would be his calling.

    Justin Wilcox had minimal interaction with Palu early on during his time as a volunteer. But Cal's Travers Family Head Football Coach still noticed and liked Palu's eagerness, and after about 18 months of seeing him as a volunteer, took a chance by hiring him as the program's assistant director of recruiting.

    "Coach Wilcox gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and I will always be grateful to him for that," Palu said. "When I got hired, I was only 24 years old, extremely green, overzealous and overwhelmed at times. But I knew that if I kept my head down and practiced our 'lotu mo ngaue' motto that it would come to me."

    Wilcox and Palu have since developed both a strong professional relationship and a deep bond.

    "A lot of the things that Coach Wilcox instills with the family aspect of the program are similar to the Polynesian culture," Palu said. "He wants us to succeed not only professionally but personally. It's what sets him apart from others. He demands a lot from us, holds us accountable and gives us a lot of advice on how to do things better on the job. But he also cares about us as people and checks in to see how we are doing. Those of us in the Polynesian community recognize and appreciate that."

    Palu has made Wilcox's decision look good by taking the opportunity he was given and running with it on his quick ascent through the program's recruiting office. He served a single season as an assistant director of recruiting in 2018 before a three-year stint from 2019-21 as the director of on-campus recruiting. He moved into his current role in 2022.

    The ability to adapt to the ever-changing college football landscape has been one of Palu's strong suits as he has moved up through the ranks.

    When Palu started as a volunteer in 2017, Cal's recruiting efforts were primarily focused on bringing in high school players and developing them. But massive changes in the recruiting world over the past few years – highlighted by the explosion of the transfer portal – have forced the Golden Bears to change their focus, and their results have been impressive.

    Cal's 2023 transfer portal recruiting class was listed by The Athletic as one of its 10 "winners" while also being recognized by On3 (1 of 12 "winners") and 247Sports (No. 17 overall class). The Bears have continued their momentum in 2024 with a transfer portal class that is currently ranked No. 16 nationally by On3 and has a total of 24 committed transfers, which is tied for the sixth-most nationally according to the media source.

    Palu believes much of the program's transfer portal success comes from recruits simply enjoying their visits to Cal, especially with the possibility that they may end up coming back to Cal after going somewhere else and then entering the portal. Palu's most valuable attributes come straight from his Polynesian culture.

    "When they come to Cal on their visit, I want to make sure they enjoy it, remember how good it was and how comfortable they felt here," Palu said. "I want them to remember how well we treat both our players and our recruits. I don't sell the program. I show them who we are. I also think I'm really good at reading people. This is important because we have such a small window to assess a player's intangibles such as trust, integrity, adaptability and respect. They're recruiting us just as much as we're recruiting them."

    Palu gives his take on recruits to Wilcox and the team's other coaches, while he also continues strong relationships with recruits once they become Bears, especially considering programs must also now focus on retaining their current players each season.

    One of those current players is fellow Polynesian Jaydn Ott.

    "Benji is the backbone of our program when you really sit back and evaluate all of the things he does," said Ott, who heads into the upcoming campaign as one of the nation's top running backs after deciding to return to Cal for a third season in 2024. "It's natural for Polynesians to treat everyone with respect and love, and it's no different with Benji. I believe that's why he has so much success in recruiting along with the many other things he does for our program. When recruits come through our facilities, you really get to see how big of a heart he has and how much he cares about Cal football."

    "Benji has great people skills," Wilcox added. "He has a unique ability to make people feel at ease. They will be open with him about what is important to them. We're in the people business, so that's really valuable."

    And what is the most challenging part of the job for Palu?

    "When it's time for these guys to go," Palu said. "I know I'm going to miss them, but to see them gain the skills they need to become successful in life is gratifying. My passion for Cal recruiting can be perceived by others as aggressive or emotional, but make no mistake, my commitment and love for what I do is undeniable. I cherish my relationships with the entire Cal community – from the coaches and players to the administration and the staff in the building. A winning program is a byproduct of great people and to have a hand in this and be able to contribute, change and shape lives, through the good and bad times, is what I'm here for. It's who I am."

    Palu attributes much of his success to what he has learned from his culture as well as mentors and colleagues in the college football ranks such as current Cal special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Vic So'oto and former Bears' defensive line coach Tony Tuioti, to name a couple.

    "Benji plays a key role in our program for both talent acquisition and retention of all players," So'oto said. "As a fellow Polynesian, he can relate to the many athletes we recruit of Polynesian descent. The importance of having representation is invaluable and to have that in the recruiting office is a tremendous help."

    Palu hopes more of his fellow Polynesians will join the ranks and has a message for anyone wanting to work in college football.

    "When it comes down to it in the end, it's all about people," Palu said. "Not only are we in the sports business, we're also in the people business. The best things about this job are the relationships you build and the friendships you make that will last a lifetime, and of course winning."