On November 26th, Fujitsu Frontiers and Obic Seagulls will clash in an XBowl semifinal at Fujitsu Stadium in Kawasaki. T
he same two teams contested the final last year and, along with Panasonic Impulse, have dominated the game in Japan over the past 10 years. Both Panasonic and Obic have been at the forefront of the movement to bring in high level foreign talent. Seagulls current American line up all have connections with the state of Hawaii whereas the Frontiers players come from all over the US. Before the Japan XBowl last year we sat down with players from both teams for a long discussion about the 2016 season, life in Japan, and football in general.
The three players were:
From Fujitsu Frontiers:
Al Rilwan Adeyami (CB). ‘Ade’ as he is known to his friends played for the University of San Diego Toreros and had stints with the New York Giants and Detroit Lions before coming to Japan. An All-League selection every year since his arrival, Adeyami is widely regarded as the best DB in the league.
BJ Beatty (DL). The former Colorado Buffalo was part of the US national team that won the World Championship in 2015. Beatty is one of the most feared pass rushers in the XLeague.
Jerry Neuheisel (QB). Son of a football legend and the man who led UCLA to one of the most famous wins in their history, Neuheisel spent just one season in Japan before taking up a role on Texas A&M’s coaching staff.
Leading the discussion was veteran Daily Yomiuri (Japan News) sports journalist Ken Marantz.
