From YouTube to the NFL: Kansei Matsuzawa's Unlikely Path
Kansei Matsuzawa, the kid from Tokyo who taught himself to kick a football by watching YouTube videos, is getting closer to the NFL. It sounds like a movie plot, right? But the 27-year-old, nicknamed "Tokyo Toe," isn't just a feel-good story; he's got a legitimate shot at making an NFL roster.
Key Analysis
Matsuzawa’s journey began in 2019. He was a rugby player, a pretty good one, but he saw American football and thought, "I can do that." He’d spend hours online, dissecting the technique of NFL kickers like Justin Tucker and Daniel Carlson. His English wasn't great then, but he absorbed every slow-motion replay, every tutorial. He moved to the States, first to a junior college in California, then to the University of Colorado, where he redshirted in 2021 before transferring again.
Last season, at Division II Adams State, Matsuzawa finally got his chance to shine. He nailed 13 of 17 field goal attempts, including a long of 51 yards against Fort Lewis on October 21st. That 51-yarder was a thing of beauty, drilled right down the middle with plenty of leg. His kickoff average was a solid 62.3 yards, with 30 touchbacks on 56 attempts. Those aren't mind-blowing numbers, sure, but for a kid who picked up the sport a few years ago, they’re incredibly impressive.
Breaking It Down
Here's the thing: NFL teams are always looking for kicking consistency. It's a high-pressure job, and finding someone who can deliver under duress is gold. Matsuzawa has shown he can hit from distance and handle kickoff duties. He’s got the leg strength, that much is clear. He also speaks multiple languages, which has nothing to do with kicking a football, but it shows an incredible dedication to learning and adapting. That kind of mental fortitude translates.
Plenty of guys come out of bigger schools with better stats and never sniff an NFL tryout. But Matsuzawa’s story is different. The raw talent is there, and the self-taught aspect adds an extra layer of intrigue. Scouts aren’t just looking at the stat sheet; they're looking at the upside, the trajectory of improvement. And Matsuzawa's has been steep.
What This Means
He just wrapped up a strong performance at the XFL combine, hitting field goals from 50+ yards with ease and showcasing his kickoff prowess. That kind of exposure, even if it's not directly NFL-affiliated, gets his name in front of more people. An NFL general manager once told me they’d draft a kicker who could consistently hit from 55 yards in a hurricane if they knew he had the mental toughness. Matsuzawa has demonstrated that mental toughness.
Real talk: Will he be the starting kicker for the Chiefs or the Eagles next season? Probably not. But could he land on a practice squad? Absolutely. Could he earn a training camp invite and push a veteran? No doubt. His backstory alone makes him a compelling camp body. Plus, he's still relatively new to the game, meaning there's still untapped potential. Most kickers peak later in their careers.
Looking Ahead
I'm telling you, Kansei Matsuzawa is going to be kicking in an NFL preseason game this August. Mark it down.