NFL Star Jamaal Williams Hypes Naruto During Game

The National Football League has found a number of ways to incorporate anime on the field, with players taking the opportunity to sometimes wear anime-related attire or sneak in clever ways to pay tribute to the medium that got its start in Japan. There might be no bigger anime player in the NFL than the Detroit Lions’ Jamaal Williams, who recently introduced himself during a game in a way that honors the Seventh Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village in the popular Shonen franchise, Naruto.

In the latest introduction from Jamaal Williams, he dubs himself the “1st Swagg Kazekage”, with the Kazekage being the ruler of the Village Hidden by the Sand. While Naruto would eventually become the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village following the events of Naruto: Shippuden, the former villain Gaara was able to one-up him in this regard, gaining the trust of his people and becoming the Kazekage long before Uzumaki had done the same. When Gaara first arrived in the Naruto series, he was a villain who was struggling with his own inner demon in the One-Tails, not scared of eliminating anyone in his way. Gaara has continued mellowing out since his early days and still remains the Kazekage to this day.

Naruto Football League

The Official Twitter Account for the NFL shared the hilarious moment from Jamaal Williams, the running back for the Detroit Lions, who has worn his love of anime on his sleeve throughout his career and clearly has a love for Naruto when it comes to mixing his two worlds into one:

Jamaal Williams aka 1st Swagg Kazekage @jswaggdaddy @Lions pic.twitter.com/fqq8XWcMnS

— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2023

In a previous interview earlier this year, Williams expressed his love for all things Pokemon, even going so far as to make sure the interviewer pronounced “Pokemon” correctly, proving how much of a fan he is of the long-running franchise:

Jamaal Williams (@jswaggdaddy) is a treasure.

He doesn't care if Aaron Rodgers talks trash about the Lions. He just wants to play football and go home and play Pokémon. And don't you dare mispronounce Pokémon. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Q0W7UtOGjt

— Jeanna Trotman (@JeannaTrotmanTV) January 2, 2023

2023 is set to be a big year for the Naruto franchise, with the anime adaptation looking to explore the side story featuring Sasuke and Sakura while also confirming that it will adopt the “Code Arc” that played out in the pages of the manga series. With the NBA’s Zion Williamson helping Nike to release Naruto-themed Jordans, anime continues to find new avenues in the world of sports.

What do you think of this hilarious anime-inspired intro in the NFL? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Hidden Leaf Village.