OT: Japan X-League 2017 update: Gardner All-League 1st Team QB

Submitted by Carcajou on

The Sagamihara Nojima Rise's Devin Gardner was name the X-League's 1st team QB, while Panasonic Impulse QB Benjamin Anderson was named the league's Most Valuable Player.

Other Americans on the 1st team on offense were Panasonic Center Edmond Davis, OT Lealakai Maiava (Obic Seagulls), TE John Stanton (IBM), and RB Gino Gordon (Fujitsu Frontiers)

On defense were Gordon's teammates CB Al-Rilwan Adeyami, and LB Trashaun Nixon. Panasonic placed four members on the 1st team, including DB Emory Polley, and defensive linemen David Motu and Carlton Jones. IBM's DL James Brooks also made the first team.


In the X-Bowl at Tokyo Dome, the Fujitsu Frontiers started fast, returning the opening kickoff for a TD and scoring 21 points in the first quarter, and easily defeated the IBM Big Blue 63-23 to repeat as X-League champions.

Frontiers QB Colby Cameron ran for two touchdowns and threw for four TDs and  306 yards, including 203 yards to game MVP Teruaki Clark Nakamura.

Fujitsu will play on January 3rd against the university champion Nihon University in the annual Rice Bowl to conclude the season.



 

MGoBoard
Football
Devin Gardner
Japan
X-League
X-Bowl

Carcajou

December 22nd, 2017 at 7:42 PM ^

...and they certainly don't have the training programs like Division I in the States. But the bigger kids on campus do get targeted to join the football or basketball teams. 

What the college teams have in their favor is quickness and conditioning- the rules allow practice and training pretty much year-round, while in the adult/semi-pro leagues most players have main jobs, and can only meet and practice on weekends. Fujitsu is one of the rare exceptions, as its players are company employees, and have one weekday practice as well, work permitting.
 

Joined: 02/26/2009

MGoPoints: 5759

Lawyer12

December 22nd, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^

The Obic Seagulls have a rich history of O-Lineman. Today’s news does not come as a surprise. However, hen IBM got caught using windows on the sideline, Watson was pissed. The future is tenuous.

Joined: 12/17/2012

MGoPoints: 3066

bringthewood

December 22nd, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^

Would be interesting to have Watson call plays. You could input every one of your opponents past defensive play call and the outcome and it would suggest the play with the highest probablility of success given down and distance. I would expect we are not far off from a Watson like analytics based play calling assistant.

Joined: 09/07/2009

MGoPoints: 5552

Lee Everett

December 22nd, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^

Although I wish him well in his football endeavors and hope he's as happy with the sport for as long as is possible, I'm more curious to see what he'll become after he hangs up the cleats. 

Do we know if he finished his masters in social work?

Joined: 07/07/2016

MGoPoints: 1596