Tatsu Nakamura
 |
 Tatsu at the University of Washington in 2035 | |
| No. 7 – Portland Pythons | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Runningback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 19, 2015 (aged 51) Yokohama, Japan |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | University of Washington |
| DSFL Draft: | 2036 / Round: 4 / Pick: 31 |
| Career history | |
| Roster status: | Active |
Tatsu Nakamura (born February 19, 2015) is an American football runningback for the Portland Pythons of the National Simulation Football League (NSFL). He played college football for the University of Washington.
Contents
Early years
Tatsu Nakamura was born in Yokohama, Japan to Shoyo Nakamura and Mitsuko Nakamura. Nakamura's father, Shoyo, was a successful first baseman for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and his mother, Mitsuko, was a primary school teacher and English language interpreter. In 2024, at the age of 9, Nakamura moved to Seattle, Washington when his father came to terms to join the Seattle Mariners. Nakamura attended Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Washington. A precocious athelete, Nakamura clocked in with a 4.4 second 40-yard dash during just his sophomore year at BHS. Ray Saturday, an assistant coach and strength trainer for BHS said of Nakamura, "he's an absolute freak in the weight room. He was a pretty small guy when he came in, but he was working out every moment he could, getting stronger and faster every day." Nakamura was a key part of BHS teams that won back-to-back WIAA 4A state titles during his sophomore and junior years. After being named a captain of the team and having an All-State year at runningback and at safety, Nakamura led the team to their third straight WIAA 4A title game, losing to Camas High School in 43-42 nailbiter. Along with his football accomplishments Nakamura also graduated as the class salutatorian in 2033 and was certified as a 4th-dan (Japanese, yondan 四段) in kendo by the age of 18.
College career
After being ranked as a 4-star athlete prospect by MaxPreps Tatsu Nakamura was recruited by his local football program at the University of Washington to join their 2033 recruiting class as a runningback. Nakamura found great success as a punt and kick returner in his freshman year, amassing over 1,500 total return yards and 5 total return TDs alongside his role as an occasional rotational player on offense. Nakamura capped off the season with a walk-off punt return touchdown against Arizona State in the PAC-12 conference championship game. His achievements for the year earned Nakamura All-Conference honors as a return specialist. After being named the starting runningback for the 2034 season Nakamura took off on a blistering pace, racking up an average of over 200 yards and 2 touchdowns over the first six games of the season as the Huskies went 6-0, soaring to the number 1 ranking. The following week, playing against conference rival Washington State, Nakamura suffered a high ankle sprain and a concussion on the same play after getting hit by a blindside block. Despite being cleared for contacts after 6 weeks, just in time to return for the conference championship game, Nakamura did not suit up the rest of the season as the Huskies finished their season in a 24-17 loss to Boise State in the semifinals of the CFP. After months of speculation and media coverage about Nakamura's status with the team, the runningback published an article in the Simulated Player's Tribune opening up about his battle with depression and anxiety during the season. Said Nakamura, "I had spent so long running as fast as I could away from myself and when I couldn't run anymore, it all caught up to me." The University of Washington announced that they would be working with players on the team, like Nakamura, to begin offering bolstered in-house counseling and mental health treatment on campus for studens immediately. After returning to full health, Nakamura picked up right where he left off the following season, racking up 2,246 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on the season, taking the Huskies to a 12-1 record entering the CFP. The Huskies suffered a 35-48 loss to Kansas State in the College Football Playoff National Championship game, ending Nakamura's final season with the University of Washington, as he declared for the 2036 DSFL Draft shortly after.
College career statistics
| Career statistics | Returning | Rushing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Punt Return Yards | Kick Return Yards | Return Touchdowns | Carries | Yards | Touchdowns |
| 2033 | UW | 12 | 624 | 894 | 5 | 64 | 307 | 3 |
| 2034 | UW | 7 | 185 | 243 | 1 | 191 | 1297 | 13 |
| 2035 | UW | 12 | 149 | 379 | 2 | 317 | 2246 | 29 |
| Total | 31 | 958 | 1516 | 8 | 572 | 3850 | 45 | |
Professional career
DSFL Career
| Ht | Wt | 40‑yd dash | 20‑ss | 3‑cone | Vert jump | Broad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
215 lb (98 kg) |
Professional Career Statistics
DSFL Career Statistics
| Career Statistics | Rushing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Carries | Yards | Average | Long | Touchdowns |
| 2036 (S21) | POR | 14 | 265 | 1256 | 4.7 | 70 | 10 |
| Total | 14 | 265 | 1256 | 4.7 | 70 | 10 | |
Achievements and records
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