AFI’s All-Pandemic Team: Right Guard – Shun Mochizuki, Fujitsu Frontiers

The AFI All-Pandemic Team selection panel has watched every game of football in all the leagues playing this year including in the Japanese Xleague, and the play of Fujitsu Frontiers right guard Shun Mochizuki has stood out.

The Frontiers have been the dominant team in Japan’s Xleague for the past five years and one of the reasons is the play of the offensive line, anchored by Mochizuki.

Fujitsu is set to play in their eighth consecutive X Bowl, the Japanese championship game, on December 15, and this is in no small measure due to the play of the offensive line, led by Shun Mochizuki.

Mochizuki has been a perennial member of the All League team in Japan since entering the league and according to head coach Yo Yamamoto, there is good reason:

“He has been selected six times as ALL X-league. And I think he is the best offensive lineman on our team. He can play in an aggressive and smart style. He is the key player for our five peat.”

The 5’11’, 255 pound 31 year old Mochizuki, a product of Waseda University and Seibou Gakuen High School, both in Tokyo, has also been a key member of the Japanese national team.

According to Frontiers quarterback Michael Birdsong, Mochizuki has the tools and mindset ideal for offensive line:

“Shun has that nasty, grit that you want your offensive linemen to have. He is a tough, physical player on the field. He helps set the tone for our Oline.”