Tomoya Machino is not the first Japanese player to set the lofty goal of becoming an NFL player. There have been others in the past who had been labeled as "the player closest to the NFL," and tried to reach the game's premier circuit.

What separates Machino from his predecessors, however, is his exceptional physique. Machino, an offensive tackle, stands 197 cm and weighs about 134 kg.

The 22-year-old performed at the XFL Showcase, a combine event for the resurrected NFL rival that will begin play next year, in St. Louis in July. He has also been invited to the two-day NFL International Combine in Cologne, Germany, that begins Saturday.