Conquest Activate Japan's Watanabe
May 22, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Albany Firebirds News Release
(ALBANY, NY) â The Albany Conquest are announcing that their Japanese Defensive Specialist, Yuichi Watanabe, will be activated for tomorrow night's game against the Birmingham Steeldogs (3-3).
Watanabe, whose nickname is "Sa-Ru", meaning "little monkey" in Japan, has been on the team's "International Roster" since the start of the season but has yet to see action in a game thus far. Prior to coming to Albany, he played in the X-League, which is Japan's equivalent to the NFL and in 2002, Wanatabe's Recruit Seagulls won the Tokyo Super Bowl.
From 1998-2001, the 5'7, 155-pound graduate of Senshu University was chosen as "Touchdown" magazine's All-Japan defensive back. Watanabe will become just the second Japanese International player to dress for an arenafootball2 game, for a team other than Hawaii. Mutsami Takahashi caught one pass for eight yards playing with the Cincinnati Swarm last week, becoming the first Japanese-born player to suit up for a team other than the Islanders.
Watanabe started playing football at Senshu University as a defensive back, kick returner and kicker. In 1994, he became the only sophomore to start at Senshu as a cornerback and in 1995 was selected to play in the Nishinomiya Bowl All-Star Game.
Watanabe will be the second Japanese player to dress for the Conquest. QB Kenta Yagi was assigned to the team last season and was the back-up to Ryan Vena until three weeks ago. Yagi played in one game this season, carrying the ball once for two yards.
Watanabe will be suited up at 7:30PM tomorrow night when the Conquest kickoff their second home game of 2003. The game will be broadcast LIVE on Timewarner Cable (Ch. 2) and re-broadcast Saturday at 12:00 noon. Dan Murphy is the play-by-play man for the Conquest, while former Albany Firebird, Rodney Smith, provides the color commentary and Damian Andrew, of Capital News 9, reports from the sideline.
Albany (5-1) comes back home for seven out of their last ten games after playing five out the first six on the road. They are currently one game ahead of Mohegan (4-2) for the lead in the Northeast Division.
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