Charlie Bessette, Ma'a Tanuvasa and Bob Wagner, three prominent figures spanning nearly 45 years of University of Hawai'i bowl game history, will be inducted into the school's Circle of Honor this week.

Their inclusion as the 26th class will be announced Friday at a media luncheon at Bank of Hawaii, the shrine's sponsor, and they will be introduced Saturday at the halftime of the UH-Utah State men's basketball game at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Their induction will bring to 82 the number of former players, coaches, officials and contributors honored since 1982, when the Circle of Honor was established.

As a halfback, Bessette scored three touchdowns to rally UH past Redlands, 33-32, in the 1948 Pineapple Bowl. Tanuvasa helped UH to its first Mainland NCAA bowl appearance in the 1992 Holiday Bowl. Wagner was head coach for UH's first two NCAA bowl appearances, the 1980 Aloha Bowl and 1992 Holiday Bowl.

Bessette lettered in basketball, baseball and football at UH but was best known as a triple threat player in football as a runner, passer and punter.

Bessette remained a prominent figure in local sports after his collegiate career, serving as public relations director for the Hawaii Islanders and manager of Honolulu and Aloha stadiums.

Bessette was a four-sport athlete at McKinley High whose plans to attend UH were delayed by Army service in World War II. Bessette served in Belgium, France and Germany and earned a Purple Heart.

Tanuvasa was an all-Western Athletic Conference performer (1992) and three-year letterman on the defensive line for UH. He was an eighth-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Rams and went on to a nine-year NFL career. He helped Denver to two Super Bowls (1998 and '99) and twice led the Broncos in sacks.

Tanuvasa is a graduate of Mililani High where he participated in football and track. He has returned to help coach the Trojans' football team.

Wagner took UH to its first top-20 finish, its best record (11-2), until the 2007 Warriors, and its first share of a WAC football title — all in 1992. But he's probably best remembered for ending UH's decade-long string of losses to Brigham Young in 1989. His 1989 and and 1990 teams beat BYU by a combined 115-42 margin. His teams were 58-49-3 (.541) between 1987 and '95.

Wagner, a native of Ohio, spent nearly 20 years at UH, the first 10 as a defensive assistant and defensive coordinator under Dick Tomey.

He is the athletic director at Kamehameha Schools-Hawai'i.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.