Watch: 'Tokyo Toe' UDFA call from Raiders who inspired his football journey

TL;DR

Kansei Matsuzawa, a kicker from Hawaii, received an undrafted free agent call from the Raiders, the team that inspired him to play football. Known as 'The Tokyo Toe', he achieved a 93% success rate on kicks last season.

Key points

Kansei Matsuzawa is a kicker from Hawaii.
He received an undrafted free agent call from the Raiders.
Matsuzawa achieved a 93% success rate on kicks last season.
He was inspired to play football after a Raiders game in 2018.
His nickname is 'The Tokyo Toe'.

Mentioned in this story

Hawaii

Kansei MatsuzawaLas Vegas Raiders

The best thing about watching the NFL Draft is seeing football prospects get the call from the GM and coach of the team drafting them. It's raw human emotion and it's what we love to see. Well, that extends to undrafted free agents as well.

For Hawaii kicker Kansei Matsuzawa, the call he received meant a bit mor than just getting called to the NFL. The call came from the Raiders which, as the story goes, is the team that inspired him to start playing football in the first place.

Here he is getting that call.

Nicknamed 'The Tokyo Toe', the Japanese kicker prospect came into the process known for hitting 93% of his kicks last season, including 18 straight. He was also known for his story which was that it was a Raiders game in Oakland in 2018 at the age of 19 that inspired him to pick up a football and give kicking a try.

From there he taught himself how to kick while saving up money working at a steakhouse in Japan. Two years later he began sending his videos to college programs hoping to get a football scholarship. He got on offer at Hocking College in Ohio. After two years at Hocking, he transferred to Hawaii.

In 2024 he took over as the full time kicker. Last season he connected on 25 of 26 kicks and was a perfect 37 for 37 on extra points to be named a Consensus All-American.

Just after the 2026 NFL Draft had concluded, everything came full circle for Matsuzawa. The 27-year-old got the call and found out he would be suiting up for the team the inspired him on his football journey eight years earlier.

You love to see it.

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Watch: 'Tokyo Toe' UDFA call from Raiders who inspired his football journey

Q&A

Who is Kansei Matsuzawa and what is his football background?

Kansei Matsuzawa is a kicker from Hawaii known for his impressive 93% kicking success rate and for being inspired to play football after attending a Raiders game in 2018.

What does the nickname 'The Tokyo Toe' signify?

'The Tokyo Toe' is a nickname for Kansei Matsuzawa, highlighting his kicking prowess and Japanese heritage as he pursues a career in the NFL.

How did the Raiders influence Kansei Matsuzawa's decision to play football?

Kansei Matsuzawa was inspired to start playing football after watching a Raiders game in Oakland at the age of 19, which motivated him to pursue kicking.