The NFL’s Jamaal Williams, running back for the Detroit Lions, showcased his appreciation for Naruto with a cool reference to the anime series during Sunday Night Football.
Williams, who goes by @/jswaggdaddy on Twitter, introduced himself to viewers as the “First Swagg Kazekage, leader of the Hidden Village of the Den.” His comment references Kazekage, the leader of Sunagakure no Sato (Hidden Village of the Sand). In addition, Williams wore a custom hitai-ate, a forehead protector headband commonly seen in the anime. His headband featured a custom-made metal plate featuring the Detroit Lions’ iconic logo.
NFL fans quickly replied to the tweet with comments like, “So glad you captured this, thought I had hallucinated the Naruto reference!” and “He’s the real life version of Gaara.” One fan even took the time to explain to viewers who were mishearing what he said that Williams had said “den,” which was likely a reference to The Lion’s Den, saying, “Probably said “The Den” aka The Lion’s Den, maybe?”
The NFL’s Surprising Love of Anime
This occasion isn’t the first time the NFL has made an anime reference. Most recently, on Jan. 7, the Jacksonville Jaguars shared an Attack on Titan poster featuring its running back depicted in place of the series’ main character Eren Yeager ahead of their AFC South battle against the Tennessee Titans. In true main character fashion, the Jaguars went on to secure the AFC South division title, giving them the opportunity to move on to the post-season playoffs.
Created, written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto follows the story of the titular character Naruto Uzumaki, a teenage ninja who dreams of becoming the next Hokage. The story begins in his pre-teen years and continues into his adolescent years, all the way up to him finally achieving his life’s goal. Naruto’s popularity earned in an anime adaptation that originally ran from October 2002 to February 2007, followed by Shippuden, covering the second part of the manga, which initially aired from February 2007 to March 2017. A spinoff series that follows Naruto’s son, Boruto, debuted in 2016, two years after the original series wrapped up its serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Boruto also received an anime adaptation, which began in April 2017 and is currently airing. Its most recent episode included stories from Sasuke Retsuden, featuring popular character Sasuke fighting a dinosaur.
Anyone interested in watching the anime can catch the series, including Shippuden and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, on Hulu.
Source: Twitter
Leave a Reply