Yamazaki’s father, a former American football player himself, used to take him to watch practices at the high school where his uncle coached the football team, so football was a familiar presence for him from an early age. When he was in the third grade, he joined a youth team and was hooked, making different friends and enjoying a different world outside of school. In his elementary school days, he could play any position, and emerged as a standout, eventually becoming team captain. “The team was doing well, defeating a powerhouse for the first time in decades and winning a regional league championship, but we kept losing just one step short of achieving our goal of becoming the number one team in Japan. This has been the case for most of my football career," recalls Yamazaki.

He went to high school at Osaka Sangyo University High School, where his uncle was still the coach. In his third year, he led his team to the Kansai League championship as the ace, but suffered a serious injury in the Kansai League final. “I was training hard and had hardly taken any time off before playing that day, and I ended up suffering a fatigue fracture. In the end, I couldn't play the next game and my team missed out on winning the national championship, so once again in high school, I felt the same frustration of coming close but being unable to seal the deal, recounts Yamazaki.

Not long after this, Yamazaki received an enthusiastic offer from then-Panthers coach Yuichiro Furuhashi, so he decided to attend Ritsumeikan University. With renewed determination, he has planned to aim for the top spot in Japan, but he ran into some unexpected obstacles in his first year. "My injury from high school combined with the COVID-19 pandemic after entering university meant that there was a period of time when I couldn't practice as much as I wanted to, and I couldn't move my body like I knew I truly could. What’s more, there were 13 candidates for my position, which totally eliminated my chance to play in games. Underlying my frustration was the fact that I couldn't quite get the agility back in my movement, and the gap between the two broke my heart," says Yamazaki. The hardships continued in his second year. He finally started to play in games but was overwhelmed by the high level of several of the older players. In order to surpass them, he put on weight to compete physically, but ironically, this led to him losing his versatility.

After completely losing sight of himself, a desperate Yamazaki decided to talk to his uncle on his mother's side about it in his third year. With the support of his uncle, he was able to thoroughly revamp his training and diet management methods and transform his body into one that was both physically strong and as fast as anyone else on the team. "I continued to work out much more than anyone else, and that had a positive impact on my play. In my third year, after the high-level upperclassmen had graduated, we were in a position where the team could not win games unless I played an active role. This is when I started to feel like I had to lead the team,” says Yamazaki.

Yamazaki had begun to take on a more active role as a core member of the team. However, in November 2023, he faced one of his greatest challenges, just as he started to get his groove back. He was in a game against Kwansei Gakuin University, which is known by the nickname of Tennōzan (a mountain that was the site of many famous battles). In the first quarter, he fumbled the ball, a mistake that was entirely out of character for him. Whether this was the reason or not, the team could not come back and lost the game 31-10. The team was unable to secure the top spot in Japan that year, as they did not even make it to the Koshien Bowl. “I was on an upswing, and my overconfidence and pride led me to make that mistake. I had to lead the team, but on the contrary, I ended up causing trouble for everyone. That was the biggest shock to me. There were also many critical comments on social media, and it felt like my heart was being torn out. Frankly, I wanted to escape from reality and just stay at home," recalls Yamazaki. According to Yamazaki, this was the biggest setback he had ever experienced.

However, as soon as he entered the off-season at the end of December, his uncle, the same one who had helped him improve his physical condition, scolded him and took him out for a training session. It was the hardest practice he had ever done. "When I collapsed from practicing so hard, my uncle told me, ‘What you did was much more severe.’ I think he was referring to that fumble I committed. His words felt like a sword piercing my heart, but they also jolted me awake. I was truly determined that I would make the team the best in Japan, because of all the trouble I had caused the team. I would not be who I am today if it were not for my uncle’s harsh words,” says Yamazaki.

Now that his mind was clear, Yamazaki threw his hat in the ring for team captain. He was ultimately chosen as captain after conveying to his teammates his strong determination to put the team before himself in order to win. As captain, he thought hard about how to lead the team in the right direction and came to the conclusion that the Panthers should be a “team that makes waves.” “I knew that in order for this team to win, we had to do more than just get along well. This is why I dared to dish out harsh criticism to my fellow teammates and be willing to make waves. I believed that we could build a strong team only after we clashed with each other and ride out the waves," says Yamazaki. As Yamazaki had intended, the team transformed as a sense of urgency and responsibility grew among the members every time there was a conflict or unpredictable event. “The presence of Kentaro Takahashi, a new coach who just started this year, was also significant. My character matched his leadership style, and thanks to Coach Takahashi, I felt like I was bringing back the essence of the Panthers from its golden age when the coach was playing on the team," recounts Yamazaki.

In addition, Yamazaki did not forget to improve himself. In particular, during the summer training camp in his fourth year, he pushed himself hard, starting his training regimen every morning at 4 a.m. “The fact that I made it through our weeklong summer training camp gave me an overwhelming sense of confidence, and as a result, I improved my mental fortitude as well. Even I was surprised at how toned and agile my body had become; I was in the best shape of my life," says Yamazaki.

With everything in place, the Panthers won the championship game of the Kansai Collegiate American Football League in the fall of 2024. The team continued to win, and in his final year of university, Yamazaki finally earned his long-sought ticket to the Koshien Bowl. Right out of the gate, Yamazaki suddenly showed off his lightning-fast speed by running 60 yards for a touchdown. After that, the game was a heated, back-and-forth battle. Nevertheless, the persistence of captain Yamazaki, who continued to inspire his tightly knit team with his performance and words of encouragement, turned the tide in the favor of the Panthers, who were crowned Japan's top team for the first time in nine years. Looking back on achieving the dream he had been chasing since he was a child, Yamazaki says: “If it weren't for that setback in my third year, the team would not have become number one in Japan. I felt a strange sense of fate, as if I had been guided to the top spot in Japan, after a long career of always being one step away from victory. I struggled for a long time, but I never gave up. I continued to challenge myself, which is why we became the best in Japan. Although I hit rock bottom and continued to scuffle, ultimately I secured the best seat in the house, laughing with my friends from the bottom of my heart."

After graduating from Ritsumeikan, Yamazaki will continue to play football for a company team. He hopes to win the Japan Championship Rice Bowl, and then make it to the National Football League (NFL), something no Japanese player has ever done before. Winning the Japanese collegiate championship may only be the first chapter in the legend of Daichi Yamazaki. We plan to keep an eye on him to see what he can do at the next level of competition.