Japan QB makes his mark at Hula Bowl

By Jaymes Song
Associated Press

WAILUKU, Maui — With a big lead late in the Hula Bowl, a 6-yard pass near midfield may have seemed meaningless.

Quarterback Kentaro Namiki became the first player from Japan in the Hula Bowl's 56-year history to throw or complete a pass. Associated Press

It was the first time a player from Japan has thrown or completed a pass in the 56-year history of the Hula Bowl, which started inviting players from the Asian nation a few years ago. Namiki may be the first player from Japan to throw a pass in a college bowl game in the United States.

The game was also televised in Japan for the first time.

As soon as Namiki, named the most valuable player for the Kanto College American Football League, found Purdue receiver John Standeford at the opponent's 40, he sprang a big smile, looked at the sideline and raised his arms. His teammates on the sideline jumped and cheered.

"He's a great guy and we were all pulling for him," said Central Florida quarterback Ryan Schneider, who played most of the game, throwing for 206 yards and a touchdown. "I'm always going to remember that pass."

Schneider was also Namiki's roommate.

"He understands English OK," Schneider said. "We just talked football and he was able to understand."

But the language barrier was sometimes evident in practice. 'Aina coaches and their three Japanese players agreed upon the word "sushi" to yell to the foreign players to gain their attention.

Kansai receiver Shinnya Ohtani quickly found out the difference between college football in Japan and the United States.

"In Japan, people who are tall, they don't have speed," he said through an interpreter. "Over here, people are huge and they have speed."

At 5 feet 7 and 143 pounds, Ohtani was the smallest, and perhaps the bravest, of the 96 players in the Hula Bowl.

"I'm not afraid," he said. "I'll use my speed to avoid them."

Ohtani said the support for the game in the United States is tremendous, along with the number of football fans.

"It's a different thing over there, but these are the best of the best from Japan," said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, one of the Hula Bowl coaches.

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said football is catching on in Japan.

"It's pretty big," he said. "I played one preseason game over there when I was with the San Diego Chargers. It was a big crowd."

When questioned about the size of his Japanese players, he responded: "I don't know how many big Japanese there are — sumo wrestlers, I guess."

Football in Japan still behind in popularity to sumo wrestling and baseball. So it could take some time before a Japanese player to make an NFL roster.