Takeru Yamasaki (born September 2, 1993) is a

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese former professional

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

in Japan for

Osaka University , abbreviated as , is a public research university located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of Japan's former Imperial Universities and a Designated National University listed as a "Top Type" university in the Top Global University Project. ...

and spent three seasons in the X-League before being signed by the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first season ...

in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL) in 2021. He appeared in their first two games of the season before being released. He kicked four field goals with the Lions, becoming the first Japanese player to ever score in the CFL.

Early life and education

Yamasaki was born in 1993 in

and played

for

there. He originally was a

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

and wide receiver, before later transitioning to

. Teammates nicknamed him the "Japanese Kicking Monster."

Professional career

After college Yamasaki spent two seasons in Japan's top amateur football league, the X-League. In 2019, he played one season in

The Spring League The Spring League was an American football developmental league and scouting event (pro showcase) that played from 2017 to 2021 and was founded by Brian Woods. Aimed at professional athletes but not paying a salary or expenses, the league's go ...

. He returned to Japan the following year, playing again in the X-League. He won the 2020 league championship as a member of the

Obic Seagulls The Obic Seagulls are an American football team located in the Narashino, Chiba, Japan. They are a member of the X-League. The Obic Seagulls have won over 17 championships during their team history (8 Rice Bowl championships and 9 Japan X Bowl ...

. In 2021, he was drafted in the third round (19th overall) of the

2021 CFL Global Draft The 2021 CFL Global Draft took place on April 15, 2021 and was the first CFL Draft that pooled all of the global players together after previously having separate drafts for Mexican players and European players in 2019. 36 players were chosen fr ...

by the

. He signed a contract with them on May 6. He beat out the team's other placekickers and made the final roster. He made his debut in week one, against the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...

. He kicked a 43-yard field goal as the first half expired, becoming the first Japanese player to score points in a CFL game. He finished the game 2-for-4 on field goals. Against the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-old ...

the following week, Yamasaki went 2-for-4 again, but his missed field goals led to his release a few days later.

References

External links

X-League kicker Takeru Yamasaki hits 73-yard field goal with ease - Article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yamasaki, Takeru 1993 births Living people Japanese players of Canadian football Canadian football placekickers Osaka University alumni The Spring League players BC Lions players Japanese expatriate sportspeople in Canada X-League (Japan) players