The ceiling still hasn’t been touched for Kansei Matsuzawa.
Despite years of international initiatives and development routes like the International Player Pathway Program, no Japanese-born player has ever made a final 53-man NFL roster. Many have reached training camps. Some have landed on practice squads. None have crossed the final line. That history lingers quietly in the background, especially for specialists, where opportunity is narrow and patience thinner still.
Shortly before kickoff at the American Bowl All-Star Game, Matsuzawa spoke about the journey that brought him here. There was no sales pitch. No rehearsed confidence. Just reflection.
Asked what first set him on this path, Matsuzawa pointed to one person.
“My special teams coordinator is the biggest reason why I committed to the University of Hawaii.”
During the recruiting process, that belief came from a single source. Hawaii head coach Timmy Chang, who took the time to reach out and see him before anyone else did.
“He was the only head coach who FaceTimed with me,” Matsuzawa said. “He talked to me about him, his program, and everything I was interested in.”
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One conversation, in particular, stayed with him.
“He told me, ‘You can be a bridge between Japan and Hawaii,’” Matsuzawa said. “And he also told me, ‘You can be the next Shohei Ohtani.’ I was never thinking like that.”
It wasn’t the comparison that mattered. It was the belief behind it.
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“There was love and energy,” he said. “Everything I wanted to be a part of the program. They helped me grow as a man and a player. He’s a real guy. I really love him.”
Born in Tokyo, Matsuzawa never followed a traditional football path. His original plan was to play college soccer in Japan, but after failing a required examination, his direction shifted. A 2018 trip to the United States, highlighted by attending a Monday Night Football game, changed how he saw the sport, and himself.
First Japanese player in NFL history?
If he was going to chase the NFL, he realized, the most realistic route would be as a placekicker.
“I’m from Japan,” Matsuzawa said. “No Japanese ever made it to the NFL.”
So he studied. Quietly. Intentionally.
“I had to watch the best kickers,” he said. “I watched a lot of NFL kickers.”
One stood out.
“Jason Myers Seahawks kicker, is one of them,” Matsuzawa said. “How he kicks and how he performs on Sunday really inspired me. I want to be like him one day.”
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It wasn’t just about technique. Myers’ career, shaped by resilience and second chances, offered proof that the road doesn’t have to be straight to be real.
Matsuzawa’s own path demanded the same patience. When he arrived in Hawaii, nothing was guaranteed. He came as a walk-on. The message was simple. Win the job, and the scholarship would follow.
He won the job.
Under Chang, Matsuzawa became one of the most reliable kickers in college football. Precision became his calling card. Calm became his currency. He earned a scholarship. He earned conference honors. He earned All-American recognition. For Hawaii, he wasn’t just a scorer. He was stability.
When things don’t go as planned, his process is intentionally simple.
“For me, resilience is enjoying the moment,” Matsuzawa said. “Whatever happens, good or bad, just enjoy the moment. The most important kick is the next kick.”
He doesn’t complicate the recovery.
“You got to have a reset,” he said. “Back to normal. Execute my job.”
What's next for Matsuzawa NFL Journey?
When asked about the feedback he’s received while preparing for the next level, Matsuzawa focused less on validation and more on connection.
“Making life plans is the most important thing to me,” he said. “Getting comfortable with my teammates. That depends on how we perform tonight. I think I’ve had a really good process since I got here, and I want to enjoy the game tonight.”
When the conversation turned to what NFL scouts want to see, his answer didn’t change.
“My strongest point is accuracy,” he said. “Distance is important in the NFL because it’s getting longer and longer. I want to show I can kick a long distance too. But accuracy is the most important thing.”
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With eyes on him from around the world, pressure is unavoidable. Matsuzawa has learned not to fight it.
“You have to enjoy everything,” he said. “If you complain or have negative thoughts, that affects game day. Whatever happens, just enjoy the moment. Always be positive. Smile everywhere I go.”
For Matsuzawa, this moment isn’t about chasing history. It’s about meeting it honestly.
“This is a great opportunity to show myself to the world,” he said.
The ceiling remains untouched. The precedent is unchanged. But shortly before kickoff, with the night ahead of him and opportunity finally aligned, Kansei Matsuzawa carried the same posture he’s brought from Tokyo to Honolulu to this stage.
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