Scott Fujita
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| New Orleans Saints — No. 55 | |
| Linebacker | |
| Date of birth: April 28, 1979 | |
| Place of birth: Ventura, California | |
| Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | Weight: 250 lb (110 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
|---|---|
| 2002 for the Kansas City Chiefs | |
| Career history | |
| College: California | |
| NFL Draft: 2002 / Round: 5 / Pick: 143 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Scott Anthony Fujita (born April 28, 1979 in Ventura, California) is an American football player who is currently a linebacker for the National Football League's New Orleans Saints. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, earning a BA in political science in 2001 and a MA in education in 2002.
Although Fujita's last name is Japanese, he is white Caucasian, as he is the adopted son of Rodney Fujita, who is Japanese, and his wife Helen, who is white Caucasian. He thinks of himself as half Asian, however.
Fujita grew up in a traditional Japanese household (celebrating Japanese festivals and holidays, eating with chopsticks, and his grandparents have several bonsai trees on their property). Because of his upbringing, he considers himself to be culturally Japanese.
In 2006, as part of a Monday Night Football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Saints teammate Mike McKenzie introduced Fujita as the "Asian Assassin." Fujita has also been known, upon making a big tackle or sack, to cover his right fist with his left palm and bow -- a gesture inspired by the yin-yang symbol.
Fujita knows very little about his birth parents (he states he would like to know more, especially when he and his wife, Jaclyn, become parents), but states that he holds no grudge.
Fujata was drafted in the 5th round from the Kansas City Chiefs. He played 3 seasons with them before signing for the 2005 season with the Dallas Cowboys. On March 13, 2006, Fujita signed with the Saints, reuniting with his former position coach as well as offensive coordinator (now head coach Sean Payton). Fujita was named defensive captain of the 2007 Saints.
[edit] References
- "Tackling adoption not issue for Fujita", The Dallas Morning News, 2005-12-17.
- Fleming, David (2006-11-10). A linebacker with a conscience. Page2. ESPN.
