University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Gouveia Named to Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List
8/14/2025 11:00:00 AM | Football
Redshirt senior offensive lineman recognized among nation’s top Polynesian players
PITTSBURGH — Offensive lineman Keith Gouveia has been named to the 2025 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced today. The award honors the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry for excellence on and off the field. The 2025 watch list features 81 players from 40 NCAA Division I programs.
Gouveia, a redshirt senior who joined the Panthers in January after transferring from Richmond, hails from Stephens City, Va. The 6-4, 310-pound lineman arrived in Pittsburgh with 33 games played and 24 starts under his belt.
Gouveia is the nephew of Kurt Gouveia, a 13-year NFL linebacker who won Super Bowls in 1987 and 1991 with Washington. Kurt Gouveia was the first player in Hawaii history to be named both Offensive and Defensive High School MVP and was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Finalists for the 2025 award will be announced Dec. 9, 2025, with the winner revealed Dec. 16, 2025. The honoree will be celebrated at the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Celebration Dinner (Jan. 17, 2026) and recognized during the Polynesian Bowl (Jan. 16, 2026). Past recipients include Marcus Mariota, Tua Tagovailoa and Penei Sewell, among others.
For more information on the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame and the Polynesian Bowl, please visit PolynesianFootballHOF.organd PolynesianBowl.com.
