The Atlanta Falcons today signed wide receiver Noriaki Kinoshita (pronounced Nor-ee-ah-key Key-no-she-ta), a native of Osaka, Japan. Kinoshita graduated from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan and spent the last three years with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europa.
Kinoshita, 5-10, 179 pounds, collected 909 combined net yards with the Admirals this past season, which ranked second in NFL Europa. He was the league’s fourth-leading kick returner after logging 532 yards on 23 returns for a 23.6 average. At the receiver position, Kinoshita finished the year with 21 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns, which was second-best on the Admirals. In 2006, Kinoshita earned All-NFLEL honors as he led the league with 19 kickoff returns for 530 yards (27.9).
"I'm excited to see Nori compete in training camp with us," Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino said in a statement. "We've already had stiff competition at the wide receiver position throughout our mini-camps and offseason workouts, and Nori's presence now adds more to that position. We are also interested in seeing his return skills."
Kinoshita is the second Japanese born football player to compete with the Atlanta Falcons. The first was TE Nachi Abe (Chiba, Japan) who signed a 10-day contract with the team in July of 2000. Abe accompanied the Falcons for their first trip to Tokyo, Japan for their Week 1 preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.
