Mesa High School and its football program recognized five special alumni before Friday’s homecoming game against Basha.

The honorees included Vai Sikahema, Deuce Lutui, Robert Holcombe, Orlando McKay and Zedo Ishikawa. All of them are former football players at Mesa High, and four of them have combined for three national championships and a Super Bowl in their careers after high school.

Ishikawa, a Jackrabbits football star at the time, was accidentally killed in 1932 by a shotgun blast to the chest while attempting to break up a fight between two dogs. As he neared his death he said, “Tell Coach (Steve) Coutchie and the boys to carry on.” The words “Carry On” eventually became the school’s motto.

The Ishikawa family still plays a big part in Mesa athletics today as they were in attendance on Friday night.

“The Ishikawa legacy has lasted 85 years and counting,” Vai Sikahema said. “That legacy is important to us.”

Vai Sikahema, older brother of Mesa head coach Kapi Sikahema, graduated from Mesa High in 1980. Vai went on to help win a national title at Brigham Young University in 1984.

He then played in the NFL for eight seasons with the Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. Sikahema is the first Tongan to ever play in the NFL and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1986 and 1987.

“This program has produced a lot of great players over the years and to be counted among them is quite humbling,” Sikahema said about being recognized Friday night. “It’s really cool to come here, like a family reunion, and see all the other former great players who made this program what it is and visit with them.”

Taitusi “Deuce” Lutui, who is on the Mesa coaching staff now, is a cousin of the Sikahemas. Lutui won a national title at USC in 2004, then was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Lutui played offensive guard for seven seasons in the NFL.

For Lutui, being recognized was very personal.

“It’s a big, emotional deal,” Lutui said. “Mesa is where I’m bred. I was raised across the street from here. Everything about this house reminds me of my family.”

Robert Holcombe won a Super Bowl with the 1999 St. Louis Rams and still holds the record for career rushing yards at Illinois. He was a part of the Jackrabbits team that went to the state title in 1992 and was selected as an all-state player in his junior and senior seasons with Mesa.

“It really means a lot because this school has a lot of great tradition,” Holcombe said. “So many great people have come through this place. Great athletes, but more so than that, great people.”

Orlando McKay won a Rose Bowl and 1991 national title with the Washington Huskies. He was drafted to the Green Bay Packers and also played in the Canadian Football League.

“When I was here at Mesa, I put in a lot of hard work,” McKay said, who is a football and track coach at Memphis University School, a college preparatory. “But I got more out of Mesa than I could ever give to Mesa. I really think anything that’s being honored toward me is really honored to those coaches, teachers and administrators who made me the man I am today.”

Holcombe and McKay said they hope their past successes can serve as inspiration for current and future Mesa High student-athletes. They explained their experiences can be something that Mesa students can look back on and use it to strive to be the best they can be.

Mesa High went on to win Friday night’s emotional homecoming game, 31-29 against Basha. The five players will have large banners displayed on the back of the home stands, cementing their legacy as Jackrabbits.