Today, the Istanbul Rams announced the signing of Japanese wide receiver Muneyuki Kinoshita.

“I’m very excited to play for Rams”, Kinoshita explained when asked about his signing. He added: “[Head] coach Val Gunn gave me this kind and precious opportunity, I really appreciate him, also I will never forget his kindness. So, I am quite willing to do anything for him.”

Chasing the Dream

“I played baseball from kindergarten to high school. When I graduated from high school, Some Japanese professional baseball teams asked me to come but I couldn’t give up my dream to play football. So I entered Kansai University to play football”, the Japanese wide receiver explained. After a successful American football career at Kansai University, Kinoshita received an invitation to the CFL Global Combine in 2021.

CFL Global Combine

The Japanese wide receiver had an impressive college career and Japan which ended up in an invitation to the CFL Global Combine in Toronto, Canada, earlier this year. At the combine, Kinoshita recorded an official 4.71 40-yard dash and an impressive number of 21 bench press reps, according to CFL stats. However, Kinoshita assured that he is faster than his official 40-yard dash shows.

Goals for 2022

When asked about his goals for his first season in the European League of Football, Kinoshita had a simple answer: “My goal with the [Istanbul] Rams is to be the champion of European League of Football in 2022”.

The former X-League player went on by talking about his best attributes as an athlete and how he will be able to help the Rams on offense and special teams: “My best attitude is speed. So, I can contribute on offense and special teams [with] my speed. Also, I'll work hard everyday to help the team get better and [to] win football games, I'll be a great leader and wide receiver and put the team first, this is my dream and I'll do anything the [Istanbul] Rams need me to do.”

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