Linebacker Shinzo Yamada of the Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers on Saturday signed with the Memphis Maniax of the XFL, a new American football league which kicks off its inaugural season next weekend.
Yamada, 27, passed a Maniax tryout held earlier this month and landed a contract carrying a $45,000 salary for the Feb. 3 - April 8 season, becoming the first Japanese player to join a professional American Football team in the United States.
His deal also includes a $2,500 winning bonus per game and a special bonus paid if Memphis reaches the April 21 final.
A graduate of Kwansei Gakuin University, Yamada helped Asahi Soft Drinks to their first national championship with a victory over Hosei University in the Rice Bowl on Jan. 3.