Amateur sumo wrestling champion to join Colorado State Football

Colorado State Football made global headlines this week when Japanese sumo wrestling champion Hidetora Hanada announced he will be transferring into the program. 

Although Hanada has never played a single snap in an actual football game, the sumo phenom has been working on a transition to football since standing out in an open tryout for the X League in the spring of 2022. 

Over the last year and a half, Hanada has made the Japanese national team and caught the attention of coaches in North America after once again starring in a tryout — this time for the Canadian Football League. In fact, according to John Gunning of the Japan Times, despite never playing a regulation down of football, Hanada has received interest from multiple power five schools in recent months including Ohio State and Texas. 

Listed at 6-foot-1, 280 pounds, Hanada will play defensive line for the Rams. Although he doesn’t have the traditional mass of a prototypical defensive tackle, his athletic profile is extremely intriguing. 

For one thing, Hanada is strong as an ox. According to Chris O’Leary, who covered Hanada’s participation in the CFL Combine this past spring, the amateur sumo champion can bench press 225 pounds for 36 reps.

But what’s probably the most intriguing about the unique prospect is his flexibility and ability to contort his body. In situations where offensive linemen are trying to gain leverage against him, Hanada is going to be able to bend in ways that the vast majority of people on earth simply can’t. Combined with his brute strength, that’s a pretty tough matchup for a guard or center.

As originally reported by USA TODAY and later confirmed by DNVR, Hanada is not yet on campus but he has enrolled as a student. The 21 year-old walk-on will have two years of eligibility to play.