Japanese Sumo Wrestler to play football for Colorado State: 2022 World Games champ Hidetora Hanada patterns his game after All-Pro Aaron Donald

Amateur sumo wrestler Hidetora Hanada confirmed during a news conference in Tokyo that he has committed to play football for the Colorado State Rams.

Hanada is a 21-year-old, 6-foot-1, 280-pound athlete at the Nippon Sports Science University.

Hidetora Hanada impressed recruiters during the Canadian Football League combine with his otherworldly flexibility and 5.23 seconds, 40-yard dash time.

Hanada, an amateur three-peat sumo wrestling champion, has turned to college football as a filler before he goes professional once he turns 25 years old.

When talking about Hanada, the CFL chief football operations officer, Greg Dick didn't know what to expect from the sumo wrestler beforehand:

“We knew we had a big man coming. In my head I thought, ‘OK, is he going to be really big?’ Because you see some of the sumo wrestlers. He’s not like that. He’s like a round piece of muscle.”

Hidetora Hanada's trial at the CFL combine put him firmly on the radar of several college programs.

He declared that his favorite player is L.A. Rams defensive lineman, Aaron Donald, and that he has tried to model his game after the star.

Hanada talked about his surprising move in Tokyo:

“I feel very lucky to be able to join the Colorado State team. It coincidentally came a week after I was in a situation wondering where I would go next. The opportunity came about because I was able to participate in the CFL combine.”

Before he committed to Colorado State, Hanada was courted by college football programs like Ohio and Texas to show just how meteoric his rise has been.

Hidetora Hanada's story

Hidetora Hanada had never played football before March 2022. After an X League open tryout, he started to learn the fundamentals of the game, down to the rules and has had a whirlwind rise to the point of getting an offer from the Colorado State Rams.

He has been added to the Japan national team roster due to his constant improvement.

Hidetora Hanada has a plethora of personal accolades. He won All-Japan as a freshman and also won gold in the open weight division of the 2022 World Games.

His ultimate aim as a sumo wrestler is to become the Yokozuna.

He talked about the potential pressure he will face due to his unorthodox move:

"I’m aware that I’ll have to give it my all to succeed. I’m more excited than nervous about the fact that I’ll have to learn how to survive and continue to aim for the NFL in a football program where I’ll be the only Japanese playerdand surrounded by those speaking a different language."

Many eyes will be on the Colorado State Rams when the football season kicks off.