Texas Longhorns freshman right guard Patrick Vahe was a key cog in a Longhorns rushing attack that put up 313 yards on the Oklahoma Sooners last Saturday, the most rushing yards Texas has put up in the Red River Showdown since 1950.
So the post-game haka dance by Vahe captured by Longhorn Network cameras was well-earned. When the 6'2, 319-pounder debuted for Texas against Notre Dame in the season opener, he became the first player of Tongan heritage to play for the Horns.
The haka is a traditional war cry, dance, or challenge that originated with the Maori people of New Zealand, though the Tongan version is called the Sipi Tau. Warriors often performed a war haka before battle in an attempt to intimidate the enemy. In this case, however, it was certainly of the celebratory variety for Vahe. There's also a long history of its use in sports -- since the late 1800s, the New Zealand rubgy team, known as the "All Blacks", has used the dance before many international matches.