Autographs
Former WR Greg Salas has fond memories of NFL, college career at Hawaii and showing his kids his trading cards
Former NFL wide receiver Greg Salas had a record-setting career at the University of Hawaii and is still among the elite receivers in school history 15 years after he last caught a pass for the Rainbow Warriors.
Let’s start in the single-season reception category. In 2010, Salas grabbed 119 passes, which is still tops in school history. His 106 receptions in 2009 is tied for third-most in school history. Salas had 285 career receptions for Hawaii from 2007-2010, also third-most in school history.
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Now let’s jump to Hawaii’s home game on Nov. 14, 2009, with New Mexico State University making the trek from Las Cruces to Honolulu for this night game at Aloha Stadium.
Salas had a school-record 16 catches for 196 yards and a touchdown as Hawaii defeated NMSU, 24-6. The record stood for about a year until Kealoha Pilares broke it with an 18-reception game against Louisiana Tech.
Salas, who went on to play in the NFL, credits his teammates and coaches for his on-field success.
“We just had a really good team,” he said. “Everything came together for me to do the things that I did.”
Hawaii went 6-7 in 2009, but re-grouped a year later to finish 7-4 overall as co-champions of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Salas was one of three team captains, along with Vaughn Meatoga and Corey Paredes.
“All of the relationships I made here at UH, they meant a lot to me,” Salas said. “All of the friendships that I made. All of the people who I met along the way—teammates, roommates, people outside of the team and the game—lifelong friends. Looking back on what I was able to accomplish certainly means a lot to me.”
And yes, there was even a moment that, well, he’d rather forget.
“A dropped ball was never my fault,” he joked, trying to keep a straight face. “My junior year, in the game when I broke the record [for receptions in a game], I remember dropping a pass and remember thinking to myself, ‘What the heck? How did that happen?’
“That’s the one pass, which would have been an easy 20-yard reception, that sticks out to me the most from that game. Luckily that didn’t cost us anything.”
That said, there we plenty of other magical moments when Salas was on the field for Hawaii. His college career spanned 48 games and he finished with 285 receptions for 4,345 yards and 26 touchdowns.
“Some of the most fun I ever had playing football was at the University of Hawaii,” Salas said. “There are a lot of memories.”
Salas was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft (112th overall pick). His official rookie card appeared in the 2011 Topps Football set.
His NFL career spanned 29 games over six seasons, with regular-season games played for St. Louis, New England, the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. He finished with 50 receptions for 704 yards.
“My NFL career was injury-plagued,” Salas said. “But overall, I was just grateful for the opportunity. I had a ton of fun, got to realize a childhood dream and live that out. I got to have my parents and my friends live the journey with me.
“I can’t really put words to describe playing in the NFL; it was awesome.”
Salas added that his NFL memory bank also includes teammates, coaches and that feeling when he’d run onto the field for the game. “Those are things you’ll never forget,” he said.
Salas announced his retirement before the 2017 season.
“I always had to go in and prove myself to make a roster for six years, which is something I’m really proud of,” he said.
In an early-season home game for Buffalo in 2016, Salas finally recorded his first receiving touchdown—against one of his former teams, the Jets. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor connected with Salas for a 71-yard completion and celebration.
“I remember that play like it was yesterday,” Salas said. “To finally get one in a regular-season game after six years of playing receiver in the NFL, I’m pretty sure my mom and dad were crying; I was kind of emotional.
“There was a lot of hard work that went into that one touchdown, as well as a lot of injuries, a lot of rehabilitation. I was very happy for that moment before I exited the NFL.”
Salas celebrated his only other NFL touchdown on Dec. 1, 2014, scoring the first points of the Jets’ home Monday Night Football game against Miami. He rushed for the 20-yard TD which, he admitted “was on a play that wasn’t even designed for me.”
Percy Harvin came out of the game and Salas went in, and the play call was already set.
“It was supposed to be a reverse to Percy, yet I got it,” said Salas, who injured himself on the play and was on injured reserve for the rest of the season. “So that was a bitter sweet moment, but I was happy to limp into the endzone on the play.”
Salas had 27 receptions through six games as a rookie for St. Louis in 2011, but suffered a season-ending injury. In 2014 with the Jets, he played in a career-high 10 games.
“Watching football nowadays, in 2025, is kind of surreal, knowing that was me years ago,” he said. “To play football on Sundays was the ultimate. The memories mean the world to me.”
Salas’ football career is immortalized on countless trading cards, with rookies released in 2011. He has autographed cards and patch cards, too.
“It’s cool to have had cards; I get to show them to my kids, so they can see and realize what dad used to do. That’s super cool,” he said. “I have a box with a lot of my cards, but I don’t collect them. I never collected sports cards, but I know there are a lot of people who do collect cards.”
Salas said he doesn’t have a favorite card. “I’m just grateful that [companies] wanted me to be on a card,” he said.
A diehard sports fan, Salas said the only cards he collected as a kid were Pokémon cards. He saved jerseys from all his NFL teams, “which is awesome to have,” he said. He also has many of his game-used helmets from college and the pros.
“I was never a big memorabilia collector,” he said. “I wish had gotten some, such as an autograph from Kobe Bryant, who was someone I really admired. Same for Tom Brady, as I was teammates with him; that would have been a good autograph to have grabbed, but I never thought of memorabilia.
“Looking back now, there are so many great players who I could have gotten autographs from.”
Salas said Brady “was a great teammate … and if I could go back, I would have asked him for an autograph. I probably should have taken the footballs that I caught from Brady and had him sign them.”
Salas still receives autograph requests in 2025 by mail and in-person. And, yes, he replies. “I would never not sign something, especially for the people here in Hawaii,” he said.
Now 37, Salas is still at the University of Hawaii, serving as the associate general manager since 2019 for Hawaii Sports Properties, where he is responsible for leading corporate partnership sales and business development. He is married with two kids.
“I really enjoy being on the business side of things, working with island companies that align with the university. It’s nice to be back here on the business side of things,” Salas said. “I never envisioned working at the school (in this capacity). But UH has given me so much; I had a great football career here and now, my post-football career is at a school that I care deeply about. This has been super fun and fulfilling, helping somewhere that is near and dear to my heart.
“It’s wonderful for me to impact the next generation, even though they may have no idea what we’re doing on the corporate partnership side of things. To use my brain now to make a little bit of money, not just my physical attributes as a football player, has meant the world to me to be back at my alma mater.”
And yes, he added, “My name certainly helps open doors in the community.”
