Amateur yokozuna gives up sumo to pursue NFL dream

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

According to a report in Nikkan sports, 2020 All Japan champion (amateur yokozuna) Hidetora Hanada has given up on his dual ozumo / gridiron dream and is now just focusing on becoming the first Japanese player to make an NFL regular season roster. 
While at the World Games in Alabama (where he won gold) Hanada attended a Crimson Tide practice and realised that in order to make his NFL dream a reality he’d have to give up sumo.
Since returning to Japan he has moved out of the Nippon Sports Science University Dorm, and is now living alone in a Tokyo apartment, learning English and training only for football with Fujitsu Frontiers and some other strong university teams.

[Katooshu 3,251]

I noticed that he wasn't in any of the photos on Nittaidai's blog lately. Good luck to him, but I'm disappointed we won't see him in sumo.

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

He wasn’t chosen for the NFL International Player Program combine that takes places at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in Oct.

That probably came as a disappointment as the NFL seems to be prioritizing physical potential over proven football ability - 12 Nigerians with no football experience made the list while Fujitsu Frontiers WR Riki Matsui is the only Japanese participant. 

Hanada is still young and hopes to makes the NFL IPP next year.

The NFL is still the longest of long shots for him but he’s giving it a go. 

[Godango 996]

Hanada is still 20, right? Presumably he could spend 3-5 years dedicating himself solely to American Football and then likely still be able to enter Ozumo until he's 25, should it not work out? 

I know he's likely not going into this new 'NFL or bust' mentality with that in mind, but in my mind it seems the most likely outcome.

[mikawa 1,794]

Surprised to hear this but understandable I guess, he's a big loss for sumo for sure.

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

2 hours ago, Godango said:

I know he's likely not going into this new 'NFL or bust' mentality with that in mind, but in my mind it seems the most likely outcome.

It will all likely depend on whether or not he gets selected for the NFL IPP next year.

 

[Godango 996]

3 hours ago, Inside Sport Japan said:

It will all likely depend on whether or not he gets selected for the NFL IPP next year.

 

It's pretty reasonable (if not sensible) to give himself a year to dedicate fully to the NFL if that's his dream.

[Akinomaki 40,622]

10 hours ago, Inside Sport Japan said:

He wasn’t chosen for the NFL International Player Program combine that takes places at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in Oct.

That probably came as a disappointment as the NFL seems to be prioritizing physical potential over proven football ability - 12 Nigerians with no football experience made the list while Fujitsu Frontiers WR Riki Matsui is the only Japanese participant. 

Hanada is still young and hopes to makes the NFL IPP next year.

The NFL is still the longest of long shots for him but he’s giving it a go. 

7 hours ago, Inside Sport Japan said:

It will all likely depend on whether or not he gets selected for the NFL IPP next year.

The nikkan article gives as reason that he was two months too young to meet the requirements, so he will not be discouraged by the failure. https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202209070000785.html

Looks like sumo has lost its appeal even to those with a sure path to a successful career. But we have plenty of Mongolian (and other countries) hopes waiting for more heya opening (s) and they now know the way to unlimited entry, arriving in Japan 10 years before entering.

Edited September 8, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Chartorenji 237]

4 hours ago, Godango said:

It's pretty reasonable (if not sensible) to give himself a year to dedicate fully to the NFL if that's his dream.

good news for him is he will still have the skills to go decently far in Ozumo, and I bet every stable would love to have another top-tier prospect even if it's a gamble if he ever competes

[Godango 996]

13 hours ago, Chartorenji said:

good news for him is he will still have the skills to go decently far in Ozumo, and I bet every stable would love to have another top-tier prospect even if it's a gamble if he ever competes

And with 25 presumably being his cut-off thanks to the ama yokozuna title, he's got a solid 4-5 years to give the NFL his all. Makes sense, good luck to him.

[Gurowake 4,088]

It seems somewhat reasonable to try for the big money in the NFL instead of working probably just as hard in Ozumo to make much less per year.  If he's able to try out and fail before the age limit then he has little to lose except for time spent doing sumo-specific training.  I really don't think he'll have all that great of a chance to make it in the NFL, as there are plenty of people in the US that have played most of their lives that are competing against him, so I anticipate that he'll try for a couple years, realize he won't make it, and maybe shift back into sumo.

Would it be possible for him to technically join a stable before the age limit and remain banzuke-gai while trying to get into the NFL? 

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

2 hours ago, Gurowake said:

I really don't think he'll have all that great of a chance to make it in the NFL, as there are plenty of people in the US that have

played most of their lives that are competing against him, 

Straight up against US college football players there would be little to no chance for sure but his path is through the NFL IPP. 

Hanada wouldn't be the first athlete without football experience to get a shot that way.

[maglor 122]

Looking through some of the guys picked in the IPP, do we think Hanada has a real shot given he's only 6'1? Pretty much all of the guys picked seem to be bigger, and many by quite a margin. Going by their heights Hokuseiho would feel quite at home in that bunch 

[Katooshu 3,251]

6'1 might actually be slightly generous, as he's listed at 184cm (6'0.5") on Nittaidai's website and has been even lower before. He used to get listed at 182cm, then started claiming 185cm, but he always looked more like a 183cm guy to me if we are nitpicking. He just doesn't seem quite as tall relative to his opposition as I'd expect from a legit 6'1 competitor. 

I have no idea about what height/weight is needed for the different football positions though.

Edited September 9, 2022 by Katooshu

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

1 hour ago, maglor said:

Looking through some of the guys picked in the IPP, do we think Hanada has a real shot given he's only 6'1? 

Of making the IPP? Yes. He's athletic and young enough to be of interest.

Of making an NFL roster for the regular season? Very slim chance of that. Teams cut hundreds of players that were stars at big US college programs every August. 

[Yamanashi 3,866]

12 hours ago, Inside Sport Japan said:

Of making the IPP? Yes. He's athletic and young enough to be of interest.

Of making an NFL roster for the regular season? Very slim chance of that. Teams cut hundreds of players that were stars at big US college programs every August. 

That's my perception, too.  The percentage of IPP recruits that make a team tells NFL teams how important it is to look for likely foreign prospects -- and the percentage is rather low, TBH.  If some miracle occurs and one or more NFL teams hear about him through media, he might get a tryout (since it's no dent to their bottom line and could be great PR value).  On the other hand, if Russia invades Japan, he's a lock for a tryout .

[Reonito 1,470]

[Akinomaki 40,622]

Hanada is in the 60 member Japan All－Star Team announced today - 54 X League members and 6 from university, for the JAPAN U.S. DREAM BOWL on the 22nd, as DL.

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202301100000268.html

Hanada at the X League tryouts

[Akinomaki 40,622]

On 10/01/2023 at 11:53, Akinomaki said:

Hanada is in the 60 member Japan All－Star Team announced today - 54 X League members and 6 from university, for the JAPAN U.S. DREAM BOWL on the 22nd, as DL.

Hanada at training

o o o

his present goal is to play in the NFL, but the article tells that as before he still also has the dream to become yokozuna in ozumo, so maybe this is not yet obsolete:

On 05/03/2022 at 20:06, Akinomaki said:

Special interview with Hidetora Hanada, who wants first to be Amefuto (American football) top player rather than becoming a sumo professional - that maybe later (he can enter till he turns 25, but will maybe have no TD qualification then) http://hochi.news/articles/20220305-OHT1T51278.html

His dream: both NFL and once again amateur yokozuna - he wants to go out into the world

Next he wants to go to a university in the US and also play for a professional team outside the NFL - he's 22, so not much time to reach his NFL goal, if he really wants to switch back to sumo later

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

 

 

The second photo was taken yesterday.

[Akinomaki 40,622]

Interview with Hanada as PR for a provider of English lessons - he needs it to prepare for the NFL. Same as Hakuho: 69th (amateur) yokozuna

[Akinomaki 40,622]

On 10/01/2023 at 11:53, Akinomaki said:

Hanada is in the 60 member Japan All－Star Team announced today - 54 X League members and 6 from university, for the JAPAN U.S. DREAM BOWL on the 22nd, as DL.

Hanada today

o oo o o o o o

He didn't take part in the actual match

Edited January 22, 2023 by Akinomaki

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

The game was very tight and hard-fought all the way with the Ivy League coming from behind in the 4th quarter to win 24-20.

Japan had to keep its veterans and established players in the game to take advantage of limited chances.

If it had been a blowout in either direction Hanada might have gotten playing time, but the game didn't present an opportunity to use a debutant.

[Ryoshishokunin 304]

50 minutes ago, Inside Sport Japan said:

If it had been a blowout in either direction Hanada might have gotten playing time, but the game didn't present an opportunity to use a debutant.

Football practice these days is to rotate linemen pretty heavily (i.e. to use them all to keep each one fresher).  Apparently that hasn't made it to Japan :)
 

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

Japan had several packages with different personnel groupings but Hanada has never played a down of football. 

It was going to take exceptional circumstances for him to see his first ever action in this game.