L.J. Collier, Dalvin Tomlinson go viral with endearing interaction while vacationing in Japan

Super Bowl LX is still a week away. But while the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are preparing to face offfor all the marbles for the second time in a decade, it’s officially the offseason for the NFL’s other 30 teams.

For LJ Collier and Dalvin Tomlinson, the offseason began with an international vacation in Japan. It’s there that the Arizona Cardinals defensive linemen had an endearing and wholesome interaction with a Japanese street photographer that has gone viral on social media.

The one minute and 26-second video originally posted to TikTok on Friday begins with a Japanese content creator that goes by “Kunie,” approaching Collier and Tomlinson while they were sitting on a bench in middle of a busy Japanese street. Kunie politely asks the hulking NFL players whether they speak English and then goes about explaining he wants to take their photos.

@kunie_r5

#osaka #japan #travel #photography #streetphotography

♬ 真夜中のドア〜stay with me – Miki Matsubara

It’s clear by the video that the photographer has no idea he’s speaking to a pair of NFL players, shaking hands as he introduces himself and learns their first names. Kunie then exchanges pleasantries like he would with any other Japanese tourist, including asking where they’re from.

Tomlinson, a 2017 second-round pick out of Alabama, and Collier, a 2019 first-round pick out of TCU, tell him they’re originally from Georgia and Texas, respectively, to which Kunie replies “Howdy, y’all,” prompting a big laugh from both players.

The video, which comes from an iPhone attached to his chest, then shows Kunie asking Collier how big he is — he’s 6-foot-5, prompting a “So cool” from the Japanese photographer — while taking his photo with a professional camera. Upon inspection of the pictures, Collier tells Kunie they play “American football.”

“Yeah, that’s why we’re so big,” Collier said with a big smile.

For his picture, Tomlinson — a lifelong fan of anime — does the famous “ram” hand gesture from the Naruto Japanese anime series, which prompts a welcomed acknowledgement from Kunie.

While it was a rather ordinary interaction, Kunie’s TikTok video quickly went viral among NFL fans who were captivated by its endearing nature, providing a delightful look behind the scenes at a pair of massive NFL defensive linemen simply living their best lives as tourists in a foreign country.

Collier just wrapped his seventh NFL season and third with Arizona, while Tomlinson is a nine-year pro who has played for four NFL teams, including last year with the Cardinals.