Right after the 2026 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders made one of the most prominent signings in the undrafted free agent market, landing kicker Kansei “Tokyo Toe” Matsuzawa on April 25.
The 27-year-old, who was born in Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan, kicked for two seasons with the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors, going 39-for-45 on field-goal attempts and recording an 86.7 field-goal percentage, per Sports Reference. Moreover, he went 72-for-72 on his extra point attempts.
As a result of his production, Matsuzawa won Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year and became the first consensus All-American in program history.
Once it became official that he was joining the Silver and Black as a free agent, he shared his appreciation for Hawai’i, where he had the opportunity to pursue his dream.
“Hawai‘i pushed me in everything as a football player and a man,” Matsuzawa said after signing with the Raiders (h/t KHON2 News). “Because of the state of Hawai‘i, I played better. That’s how I feel.
“I like the fans, and all the people in Hawai‘i give me love and support; I was really comfortable staying and playing in the stadium. I really want to thank everybody for supporting me. Much aloha. Thank you.”
Kansei Matsuzawa Credits Raiders for Chasing NFL Dream
Furthermore, Matsuzawa will look to challenge veteran Matt Gay for the starting place kicker job as the Raiders made a major decision on the position.
This offseason, the Raiders decided to move on from long-time kicker Daniel Carlson, opting to sign Gay instead. Nonetheless, it appears the veteran will have to earn the job and beat Matsuzawa.
Matsuzawa has a unique story: It was watching a Raiders game at the Oakland Coliseum in 2018 that inspired him to pursue the dream of becoming an NFL player, and the route he needed to take was through the kicker position.
“I came to the United States by myself and traveled on the West Coast, and I watched my first NFL game in Oakland,” Matsuzawa said during an April 3 appearance on “Good Morning Football Overtime.” “Then I really loved it, and I’m like, ‘I want to do this. This is going to be my life.’”
How Kansei Matsuzawa Learned to Become a Kicker
Moreover, Matsuzawa explained how he learned to be a kicker in football through YouTube and by learning from a Super Bowl champion.
“I didn’t have a coach at the time, and I wanted to learn from the best, which is NFL kickers,” Matsuzawa added. “So YouTube was a great resource for me, and that’s how I started kicking. I watched a lot of NFL kickers, like [Seattle Seahawks’] Jason Myers.”
Nonetheless, Matsuzawa turned his dream of playing in the NFL into a reality after earning recognition during his time with the Rainbow Warriors. Now, it’s time to put the college life behind him as he looks to win the starting kicker job and become one of the team’s popular players if he proves to be successful.
Matsuzawa will report to the Raiders this weekend. The team’s offseason training program is scheduled to begin May 4, with minicamp starting on May 8.
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