Position: Wide Receiver Jersey: 18 40 yard dash: 4.86 seconds Bench Press: 70 kg Height: 189 cm Birthday: March 12 Quote: "If you can't aim for the top alone, then find someone to go with you." A typical, good-looking pop idol (he has a CD single due to recording technology, despite the fact that he can't sing), he works in an advertising company called Jari Productions. When he was young, he used to watch sports all the time and dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. In high school, he managed to enter the team as a Wide Receiver after drawing much attention from the seniors due to his height; however, the coach, Shoji, was more interested in Shin. Shin soon surpassed Sakuraba, becoming the ace of the team. Sakuraba felt a little envious of Shin's success and achievements, and was disappointed with himself for not being able to soar to greater heights. He eventually became less interested in training and sports in general. One day, Miracle Ito of Jari Productions noticed him and decided that he would be a good model. Feeling wanted and pleased to be in the spotlight for once, Sakuraba agreed to work for him. Now, he is constantly misunderstood; because of his popularity, people mistake him for the genius of the Oujou team, and disregard the true ace, Shin. In fact, his football skills are mediocre at best, especially his catching ability. Sakuraba always felt pressured to do well and to live up to assumptions people made about him. An accident in the Oujou vs. Deimon game changed it all, though: Sena, as Eyeshield 21, accidentally tackled Sakuraba while running, injuring him. The reason that Sakuraba was hit, even though he was not playing at that time, was that he ran onto the field to grab a card that Miracle Ito told him to wear as advertisement. In the hospital, after meeting Sena, Monta and his die-hard fan Torakichi, who admires Sakuraba for his catch in the game against Deimon the year before, he finally decides to stop being pessimistic and to succeed just as Shin has done. Just before the Fall tournament started, he decided to quit working with Jari Productions and focus on American football with the help of his friends after he heard Takami complimenting him and how he had waited for a friend like Sakuraba, someone like him who understood his predicaments.
