Saint Louis senior receiver Yosei Takahashi signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the University of San Diego football team on Saturday, marking a culmination of the ultimate gamble he took on himself some five years ago.

Takahashi, a native of Osaka, Japan, moved to Oahu by himself as a seventh grader in pursuit of his football dreams, hoping to gain more exposure playing high school football in America.

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“My original plan was to go to a DI school and in football,” Takahashi told KHON2. “I thought Saint Louis School would be the best choice for me, because of competing, brotherhood, all the experience that I get, I thought was the best choice for me.

“My dad used to play football and I was trying to be like my dad. I love football. I suggested that’s what I wanted to do. So I came here.”

After the 2020 high school football season was canceled, Takahashi became a reliable target for the Crusaders in 2021 and 2022, closing out his high school career with a total of 35 receptions for 524 yards and five touchdowns. It was enough for him to get on the radar of San Diego, which competes in the FCS’s Pioneer Football League.

“San Diego, it was great academic school, and they are a DI football team,” Takahashi said. “One of the coaches used to play football in Japan, so that’s a great connection that I had.”

With his college destination decided, Takahashi will seek to make the most of his senior year at Saint Louis before making another move in the fall.

“It was a dream. It’s a great experience for me. I gained a lot of friends and an experience that is such a blessing for me,” he said.