Esera Tavai Tuaolo is of Samoan ancestry and was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He grew up in poverty on a banana farm in Waimanalo and is a father of twins, Mitchell and Michele. Many of his meaningful moments while growing up and playing in the NFL can be found in his autobiography. The book is Alone in the Trenches: My Life as a Gay Man in the NFL.

Tuaolo had a successful football career for thirteen years. He played at Oregon State University, and then in the NFL for nine years. Also, he played for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers. Additionally, he reached the Super Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons.

After retiring from the NFL, Tuaolo came out as gay in 2002 and began advocating for the LGBT community. To combat homophobia, he has worked with different sports organizations, including the NFL and the Gay and Lesbian Athletics Foundation. Further, he has appeared on television programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, and The Ellen Show.

In 2017, Tuaolo founded Hate is Wrong, a non-profit corporation whose mission is to foster diversity in sports and anti-bullying among youth. Hate is Wrong provides inclusion-based education and throws anti-bullying family luaus in school districts. Here, families come together, enjoy a free meal, and learn how to spot and prevent bullying.

Tuaolo is also a singer. He has sung the National Anthem at sporting events, including NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA games. He also performed at the opening ceremony of the Gay Games VII and Super Bowl 2018. Furthermore, he was cast on Season thirteen of The Voice, and made it to the top twenty.