Is There Any Asian NFL Players?
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Despite the stereotype that Asians are not good at football, there have actually been a number of Asian NFL players over the years. Here is a look at some of the most notable ones.
There are only a handful of Asian NFL players
There are only a handful of Asian NFL players. Hines Ward, Wesley Welker, and Brandon Lloyd are the most notable Asian NFL players. There have been other Asian NFL players, but they have not been as successful or as well-known as these three players.
Most of them are of Chinese or Japanese descent
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league, consisting of 32 teams of which 31 are located in the United States and one in Canada. The league is divided into two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC), each of which has 16 teams.
According to a 2017 study, there are about 2.27 million Asian American football fans in the United States, making up 5% of the NFL’s total fan base. Despite this, there are currently no Asian American players in the NFL. However, there have been a handful of players of Asian descent who have played in the league. Most of them are of Chinese or Japanese descent.
The first Asian American player in the NFL was Kenneth Lin «Ken»grandell Willard Uyeda during World War II. He was born to a Japanese father and a Chinese mother and played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1945. Willard is also believed to be the first mixed race player in the NFL.
Other notable players include Soon-Taik «Soonie» Mondvertiser Rauch, who played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1953 to 1957, and Yoshi Karayama Yamada playing for Los Angeles Rams (1941), Detroit Lions (1942–1943), and Pittsburgh Steelers (1944).
They are all placekickers or punters
There has never been an Asian player in the NFL who wasn’t a placekicker or punter. In fact, there has only ever been one Asian-born player in the NFL, and he was born in Japan. His name is Ryozo Suzuki, and he played for the Los Angeles Rams in 1987.
None of them have ever been to the Pro Bowl
Although there are a handful of Asian descent players in the NFL, none of them have ever been to the Pro Bowl. This is largely due to the fact that Asians are not typically considered to be as athletically gifted as other groups, such as African Americans or Caucasians. Nevertheless, there are a few players of Asian descent who have made waves in the NFL, such as linebacker Dat Nguyen and running back Sammy Morris.
The most successful Asian NFL player is probably San Francisco 49ers’ placekicker, Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould is the most successful Asian NFL player in terms of both playing ability and achievement. He is a placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers and has played in the NFL for 13 seasons. During his career, he has been selected for the Pro Bowl (an all-star game) three times and has been named to the All-Pro team twice. He is also the 49ers’ all-time leading scorer.
