Kansei Matsuzawa

Last updated

Kansei Matsuzawa
No. 17 – Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Position Kicker
ClassSenior
Personal information
Born Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan [1]
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school Makuhari Sogo High School
College
Stats at ESPN

Kansei Matsuzawa is a Japanese American football player who currently plays for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors as a placekicker.

Contents

Career

Matsuzawa planned to play college soccer in Japan, but failed a required examination. His father, who had played youth American football, sent his depressed son to visit the United States, where he attended a Monday Night Football Rams-Raiders game. [2]

Wanting to play in the NFL, Matsuzawa realized that the best way to do so would be as a placekicker. He taught himself how to kick the ball from YouTube videos while working at a Morton's Steakhouse in Tokyo for three years to save money. Matsuzawa sent footage of his kicking to American universities; only Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio was interested. [2] [3] [4]

At Hocking, Matsuzawa learned English and converted 12 field goals, the longest 50 yards. [5] In 2023, He transferred to the University of Hawaii but did not appear in any games. In his junior season, Matsuzawa started every game, led the team in scoring, [1] and received an athletic scholarship at the end of the year. [2]

During the first game of the 2025 season, Matsuzawa converted a field goal as time expired to beat Stanford, [6] helping him win the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Week award. [7] As of 3 December 2025 Matsuzawa was among the best kickers in college football, having made 25 of 26 field goals, the longest 52 yards, and 37 of 37 extra points. [2]

Personal life

Matsuzawa was born in Tokyo, Japan and attended Makuhari Sogo High School. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Kansei Matsuzawa - Football". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bachman, Rachel; Fukutome, Junko (November 19, 2025). "The 'Tokyo Toe' Learned Football on YouTube. Now He Might Be the Best Kicker in College Football". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  3. ↑ Vannini, Chris (September 5, 2025). "Meet Kansei Matsuzawa, this college football season's first awesome underdog story". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ "Hawaii kicker wins the internet with unbelievable backstory". www.sportingnews.com. August 24, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Kansei Matsuzawa, Who Learned To Kick on YouTube, Helps Hawaii Beat Stanford". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  6. ↑ Mandel, Stewart (August 24, 2025). "Hawaii spoils Frank Reich-Andrew Luck Stanford opener on walk-off field goal". The New York Times. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Football Players of the Week". Mountain West Conference. August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  8. ↑ Chinen, Kyle (September 5, 2024). "Rainbow Warriors kicker Kansei Matsuzawa finds his footing in Manoa". www.hawaiinewsnow.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
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