Pita Elisara

{{Short description|Samoan gridiron football player (1976–2018)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Pita Elisara

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| number = 73

| position = Tackle / Guard

| birth_date = {{birth date|1976|11|16|mf=y}}

| birth_place = {{okina}}Ili{{okina}}ili, American Samoa

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|10|16|1976|11|16|mf=y}}

| death_place = Del City, Oklahoma

| high_school = Tafuna (Tafuna, American Samoa)

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lbs = 287

| college = Indiana

| undraftedyear = 2000

| pastteams =

• New York Giants ({{NFL Year|2000}})*
• San Francisco Demons (2001)
• Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|2002}})*
• →Scottish Claymores (2002)
• Baltimore Ravens ({{NFL Year|2003}})*
• Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|2003}}–{{NFL Year|2004}})
• →Rhein Fire (2004)

| highlights =

• All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (1998)

}}

Pita Elisara (November 16, 1976 – October 16, 2018) was an American football offensive lineman.

A native of American Samoa, Elisara grew up playing rugby and football. After high school, he spent two years at Palomar College while living with some of his brothers, who were serving in the US Navy, in Oceanside, California.{{cite news |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/AMERICAN+FOOTBALL%3A+PITA'S+A+300lb+THUNDER-BOLT.-a087040764 |title=American Football: Pita's a 300lb Thunder-bolt |newspaper=Glasgow Sunday Mail |date=June 9, 2002 }} In 1998, he transferred to Indiana University, where he became an All-Big Ten offensive lineman. He started all 11 games in 1999 for the Hoosiers.

Being not selected in the 2000 NFL draft, Elisara was signed onto the New York Giants off-season roster, but eventually cut. He was then selected in the 2001 XFL Draft by the short-lived San Francisco Demons. The following years he spent on several NFL teams' off-season roster, while being assigned to NFL Europe squads during the season.{{cite web |url=http://www.nfleurope.com/players/playerpage/1296 |title=Archived copy |website=www.nfleurope.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040626091705/http://www.nfleurope.com/players/playerpage/1296 |archive-date=26 June 2004 |url-status=dead}}

He died on October 16, 2018, in Del City, Oklahoma.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/del-city-ok/pita-elisara-8027056|title=Pita Elisara Obituary - del City, OK}}