Much like his football hero Michael Vick, former UConn quarterback David Pindell was known for his ability to extend the play.

Now, seven years after leaving Storrs, the former Huskies star has found a way to do the same thing with his career.

As UConn lineman Chase Lundt and a few other state prospects hope to be chosen in this week’s NFL Draft, Pindell, 28, is still throwing and running, lifting and studying film, playing out his dream on the other side of the world, in the land of the rising sun.

Pindell, who quarterbacked the Huskies in 2017 and ’18, has spent the last three years of his professional career in Japan, where he’s put up big numbers and played in some of the country’s iconic sports arenas.

American football is a niche sport in Japan, but it has a dedicated following, as Pindell attested to. His Kobe Finies have reached the X-League playoffs each year he’s been there, and played in the semifinals at the Tokyo Dome in 2022, in front of a crowd of about 30,000 people.

Pindell runs with the ball during a game in Japan’s X-League. (Photo courtesy: David Pindell)

It’s a long way from Rentschler Field, but the Columbia, Maryland native said games can have a college football-like atmosphere. The game on the field is like college or NFL football too, with the same rules, unlike other places he’s played, in the Canadian Football League or in arena football.

There aren’t a ton of places around the world where athletes can make a living playing football, but Japan, which was introduced to the sport in 1934, has a surprisingly rich history with it. A college football bowl game, first known as the Mirage Bowl and later the Coca-Cola Classic, was played in Tokyo annually from 1977-93, and the Japan Bowl, which ran from ’76-93, was a college football All-Star Game that featured Heisman Trophy winners like Bo Jackson and Ty Detmer.

Although the game is familiar, that doesn’t mean Pindell wasn’t hit with some initial culture shock.

“It’s very peaceful out here. One of the things that shocked me was how quiet the people are,” Pindell said. “They’re just very, very quiet, more like just, mind their business. Everybody just works a lot.”

He says he’s not really a fan of sushi and cooks most of his meals at home. A translator app on his phone has also proven essential, helping him get by with the steep language barrier.

“That’s probably been the most difficult part because unless you came here to actually study the language, there’s like no way,” he said. “I pick stuff up because I hear it so much in practice, but I mostly use the translator app to get around. And then my teammates can help me with anything specific that I need.”

One of the unique things about Japan’s X-League is that most of the players actually work for the companies who sponsor the teams. There are only three spots allowed for foreign players on each team, and only they can focus full-time on football.

While most of his teammates work Monday through Friday, Pindell uses that time to work on his body, get in the weight room, and study film, mostly on his own.

For most of his life, making it in the NFL had been Pindell’s goal, and he tried out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings coming out of college. Now though, he just wants to extend his playing career as long as he can.

“(The NFL) has always been the goal, but I’m a realist, I’m 28 years old, the reality is, the older you get, the opportunity slims. Now, it’s just like longevity, as long as I can just keep playing football and keep my body healthy, that’s my main priority right now,” he said.

Connecticut quarterback David Pindell (5) gets a pass off in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Temple, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, in East Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Stephen Dunn)

UConn fans remember Pindell as one of the few bright spots during the second Randy Edsall era, putting up impressive numbers despite the Huskies’ 4-20 record while the QB was in Storrs. As a senior in 2018, the athletic, dual-threat Pindell passed for 1,962 yards and 19 touchdowns, against 13 interceptions. He also set a single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,139, and ranked third in UConn history for net yards of total offense (3,117). Despite all of that, the Huskies finished 1-11.

That he’s made a career in professional football for seven years since is a testament to his talent and perseverance. That he’s been able to do so overseas, in a country known much more for its love of baseball and sumo wrestling, might give many players hope that even if they don’t hear their names called in the draft this week, they can sustain a career in the sport elsewhere.

“For the guys that don’t make it to the NFL right out of college, I would say if you really love football and want to continue playing, playing overseas is a great opportunity,” Pindell said. “It’s an opportunity to still do what you love, get paid pretty good for it, and also experience another culture and make an impact because overseas football looks highly of American football players, and they value them a lot.”

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Originally Published: April 24, 2025 at 10:53 AM EDT