OT: Japan X-League 2017 update: Gardner All-League 1st Team QB
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.
December 22nd, 2017 at 9:38 AM ^
December 22nd, 2017 at 3:03 PM ^
Gardner had a season in which he went 14-3 TD-INT in conference? Damn, did not know that.
December 22nd, 2017 at 9:45 AM ^
Gardner really seems to be on a roll over there! A Spicy Shrimp Tempura roll, with lots of wasabe...
December 22nd, 2017 at 9:54 AM ^
The pro league winner plays a college? Hope bad would Devin Gardner be destroying college kids right now? Japanese college kids - who I imagine are not very large!
December 22nd, 2017 at 10:53 AM ^
What language are you attempting here?
December 22nd, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
Sounds Trumpian
December 22nd, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
a little whiskey in his coffee this morning. Maybe we can start a Friday Afternoon Drinking thread in his honor.
December 22nd, 2017 at 12:42 PM ^
December 22nd, 2017 at 2:15 PM ^
Settle down, snowflake.
December 22nd, 2017 at 4:03 PM ^
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.
December 22nd, 2017 at 9:57 AM ^
to Champion of the Far East. Happy to hear he's doing well.
December 22nd, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^
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.
December 22nd, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
Do Japan players ever make it back to the Pros in the US or Canada?
If anybody deserves it, it would be Devin Gardner.
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?
December 22nd, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
December 22nd, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
Nice, get some.
December 22nd, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^
December 22nd, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
Any highlights from the league?
December 22nd, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^
December 22nd, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^
December 22nd, 2017 at 12:55 PM ^
Congrats DG, ole 98
December 23rd, 2017 at 1:18 PM ^
Way to go, DG!
December 23rd, 2017 at 10:07 PM ^