Gyo Shojima doesn’t consider what he’s doing anything special. He’s just playing football, a game the UCLA center has loved since his freshman year at Redondo High.
Then again, second-string offensive linemen don’t usually field calls from Sports Illustrated or linger for a lengthy interview with reporters a few days after playing toward the end of what became a lopsided victory.
Shojima’s back story is what makes him unique. Although other players of Japanese descent have played college football, Shojima is believed to be the first Japanese-born player to participate in a Football Bowl Subdivision game after appearing late in the Bruins’ 42-21 victory over Nevada Las Vegas on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.