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Honors & Awards
» Academic All-Big Ten (2020)
» Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Spring 2020)
2022 (Sophomore)
Noa Pola-Gates played in two games in 2022, appearing on special teams against Illinois and Michigan.
2021 (Redshirt Freshman)
Pola-Gates played in eight games as a key member of Nebraska's special teams coverage units in 2021. He made a tackle on kickoff coverage at No. 20 Michigan State.
2020 (Covid Season)
Pola-Gates played in every game as a redshirt freshman, when he was a key member of the Huskers’ special teams, totaling three tackles on kickoff coverage. In the opener at No. 5 Ohio State, he made one tackle on kickoff coverage. He added two more tackles on kickoff coverage in the win over Penn State. Pola-Gates saw action on both defense and special teams against Illinois.
2019 (Redshirt)
Pola-Gates played in two games as a true freshman, appearing on special teams against both Colorado and Northern Illinois before suffering a season-ending injury. Pola-Gates preserved his redshirt season by appearing in only two games.
Before Nebraska (Williams Field HS)
Pola-Gates was regarded as one of the nation’s best safeties and top overall players in the 2019 recruiting class. Pola-Gates starred for Williams Field High School in Arizona, where he was selected for the 2019 Army All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl.
As a senior in 2018, Pola-Gates was an All-Arizona selection after helping the Black Hawks to an 11-2 record and a trip to the Arizona 5A semifinals. He recorded 57 tackles with one tackle for loss and had five interceptions and seven pass breakups on defense and had 743 all-purpose yards, including three receptions for 200 yards and three touchdowns and 15 carries for 139 yards.
Pola-Gates also helped Williams Field to the state playoffs as a junior in 2017, when he was an honorable-mention all-state pick after registering 46 tackles, three pass breakups and three interceptions, returning those three picks for 145 yards. He had 199 rushing yards and three touchdowns on offense as a junior, while also catching nine passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns and totaling more than 800 all-purpose yards. Pola-Gates was a key member of the Black Hawks’ 14-0 state championship team in 2016, when he totaled 62 tackles, two interceptions and three breakups as a sophomore.
Pola-Gates was a consensus four-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 3 player in the state of Arizona by 247Sports and was regarded as the No. 11 safety in the country. Overall, Pola-Gates was ranked among the top 150 recruits in the nation by 247Sports, the 247Sports Composite rankings and by Rivals, which listed Pola-Gates as the No. 116 overall player in the nation. Pola-Gates had offers from several of the top programs, but chose Nebraska after also visiting Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon and Penn State.
Personal
Noa is the son of Amy Pola-Gates and Mickey Gates and Kevin Pola. He was born on Sept. 29, 2000. A child, youth and family studies major, Noa earned his bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2023. He has volunteered his time at the Belmont Community Center, the Athletic Department Career Fair, the Nebraska Football Road Race and local hospital visits. Pola-Gates is the nephew of NFL Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu.