arenafootball2 Assigns Kohei Satomi to the Islanders
April 29, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Hawaiian Islanders News Release
HONOLULU â The Hawaiian Islanders today announced they have been assigned Defensive Specialist Kohei Satomi by the arenafootball2 league.
Satomi, a native of Tokyo, Japan, was on the 2003 roster of the Arena Football League's Indiana Firebirds as a member of the practice squad where he gained valuable insight in defending Indiana's dangerous receiving duo of Eddie Brown and Van Johnson.
"I practiced every day against their top receivers and I'm a better player," Satomi said. "I want to play so I'm here in Hawaii."
Satomi played five games for the Islanders last year and recorded six solos and eight assists. He was second on the team in passes defended with six and interceptions with one.
"He's a guy who can make plays," said defensive backs coach Doug Semones. "I think he'll contribute a lot to this team and with Eddie Klaneski in the secondary, we'll be better defensively."
Satomi played in NFL Europe for two seasons with the Amsterdam Admirals in 2000 and the Scottish Claymores in 2001. As a national player selection, he recorded 10 tackles, two passes defended and six special team tackles. He was part of the international training squad for the Hawaiian Islanders in 2002 and played his first game on June 14 against San Diego.
In Japan, Satomi prepped at Akashi Minami where he was an outstanding baseball player and weight lifter. From 1994 to 1998, he played football for Ritsumeikan (University) and won a national championship in 1998. He was named Touchdown Magazine All-Japan in 1999.
The Hawaiian Islanders (3-1) will travel to Wichita, Kansas to face the Wichita Stealth (3-1) in a key Western Division game on Saturday, May 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. HST.
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