Tatsuaki Shojima is another polite, mild-mannered young man, just like many other Japanese guys.

But there¡¯s one thing that sets him apart from the rest of his countrymen: Shojima is going to play football for the UCLA Bruins.

The 22-year-old offensive lineman enrolled at the world-famous American university when he was recruited by its football team last summer after he played for a couple of years at Santa Monica College. Shojima, who is nicknamed ¡°Gyo¡± (pronounced Gio), didn¡¯t get a scholarship, but is a preferred walk-on and is assured a spot on the team.