Paopao began his CFL career as a quarterback for the BC Lions in 1978. He was nicknamed the "Throwin' Samoan" for his great ability to pass, as he led the Lions in passing for the next three seasons and set a CFL record in 1979 for pass completions in a single game. By 1983, he had lost the starting job to Roy Dewalt. In 1984 he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and again led that team in passing. He was traded to the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1987, and the following year to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. That year, he was named the offensive backfield coach of the BC Lions, thus beginning his CFL coaching career. The next year however, he went back to his old position of quarterback for the Lions, backing up Doug Flutie, in his last season.
Coaching career
Early CFL coaching career
In 1991, Paopao was made the quarterback coach of the Lions. In 1992 he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Paopao was with the Lions for four seasons to begin his coaching career. Paopao then left to be the offensive coordinator for the Edmonton Eskimos in 1994. In 1996 Paopao returned to BC to be the head coach, but he only managed to win 5 games and lost 13 during his only season as the Lions head coach. Following his first stint as a head coach Paopao was hired by the Bluie Bombers as the teams offensive coordinator, a position which he held for two seasons. He once again returned to the Lions in 1999 and as the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
Paopao was hired as the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco Demons of the XFL. The league was operational for only one season, and thus Paopao was once again looking for work.
Ontario
In 2001 Paopao was hired as the head coach of the new Ottawa Renegades franchise where he coached for four seasons from 2002-2005. However, the Renegades struggled, winning only 23 games and losing 49, the team folded following the 2005 season. Paopao was then hired by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and named offensive coordinator for the 2006 season. He was later relieved of his duties with the Tiger-Cats on August 28, 2006.
Paopao joined the University of Waterloo Warriors as the team's offensive coordinator and assistant head coach in 2007, a position he would hold for five years. He was named the team's interim head coach for the 2012 season after Dennis McPhee's resignation, and then full-time head coach in February 2013. In two seasons with the Warriors, Paopao had a 3-13 record.
Return to BC
On February 6, 2014, the BC Lions announced Paopao would be re-joining the organization as its receivers coach.
On April 15, 2019 Paopao was hired by the Ottawa Redblacks as a running backs coach. Midway through the 2019 season, with the offense sputtering and the team having lost six of their last seven matches, head coach Rick Campbell turned over the role of offensive play-calling to Paopao: His responsibilities with the team also changed from running backs coach to quarterbacks coach. Following a head coaching change, Paopao was not retained by the Redblacks for the 2020 season.
