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. Before the opening ceremony, he cut his hair in a crew-cut style and started growing a goatee to show his renewed vigor in pursuing success in American football, much to the dismay of Miracle Ito, who had depended on Sakuraba's good looks to make money. This has turned out probably for the best, as if Ito had seen Sakuraba at the end of 207th Down, he would have had a coronary on the spot. Due to Ootawara's usual thickheaded nature, he and Sakuraba lost the quiz game that Oujouu ran as part of its Autumn Festival by a mile—which meant they had to do a forfeit: dress up in maid costumes. Ootawara looked ridiculous—no change there—but Sakuraba was a sight to behold.
