Scott Fujita was born in Ventura, California on April 28, 1979. He was a three-sport standout (football, basketball and track & field) at Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, CA before heading to the University of California, Berkeley. As a student at Berkeley, Fujita earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, graduating in 2001 with Honors. He also completed a minor program in Business Administration. In his final year at Berkeley, Fujita earned a Masters degree in Education.
Fujita was originally a walk-on safety at Cal, but ended up making the transition to linebacker as a redshirt Freshman. He was awarded an athletic scholarship at the start of his Sophomore year. As a Junior and Senior, Fujita started every game at linebacker and was named All-Pac 10 honorable mention and Academic All-Pac 10.
Fujita was drafted in the 5th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He played 3 seasons with the Chiefs under Head Coach Dick Vermeil, and led the team in tackles in 2003 and 2004. Fujita was traded to the Dallas Cowboys before the start of the 2005 season, where he was coached by Bill Parcells.
As an unrestricted free agent during the 2006 off-season, Fujita signed with the New Orleans Saints, reuniting with former coaches Joe Vitt and Sean Payton. He was the Saints’ first free agent acquisition following Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and the Gulf South in the Summer of 2005.
In Fujita’s first season with the Saints, he was selected as the defensive team captain by his teammates and held that title for three years. He also led the team in tackles in 2006 and 2007. In 2009 Fujita was named the Saints’ “Man of the Year” for his contributions on the field and in the community.
During Fujita’s four seasons in New Orleans, the Saints won two NFC South Division championships, appeared in two NFC Championship games, and won Super Bowl XLIV against the Indianapolis Colts.
After winning the Super Bowl, Fujita became an unrestricted free agent and became the first acquisition of Mike Holmgren with the Cleveland Browns. He served as the Browns’ defensive captain for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Off the playing field, Fujita dedicates a lot of time to his community, as well as a number of charities. He is passionate about the environment, namely the protection and restoration of the Gulf South. He also advocates for equal rights for the LGBT community, promotes programs for adoption, and is an avid proponent for breast cancer awareness, as his mother is a two-time breast cancer survivor. Throughout his career, Fujita has also worked with organizations that work to support, encourage and enrich the lives of children afflicted with cancer and other challenges.
Fujita has served on the NFLPA Executive Committee as a Vice President since 2010. He also sits on the Board of Directors for Team Gleason (www.teamgleason.org), which seeks to improve the lives of patients living with ALS and ultimately find solutions to stop this terrible disease.
On April 22, 2013, Fujita signed a one-day contract with the New Orleans Saints and announced his retirement after 11 seasons in the NFL atop Peru’s Machu Picchu.
Focusing on his transition from NFL linebacker to life beyond the field of play, Scott assembled a team to help with his post-NFL career goals. Utilizing his expertise and leadership from the football field and transitioning it to a versatile post-NFL career, Scott joined forces with the New York Times, Fox Sports, foxsports.com and WDSU’s “Saints on 6” Primetime. After a year on the broadcast and sports writing circuit, he was hired as a consultant on a feature film and is now Executive Director for the Gleason Project film. In addition to this, he is a Partner at Radd3, Associate Director of Team Gleason and Co-Executive Director for Team Gleason’s Social Action Campaign.
On a personal note, Fujita is the adopted son of Rod and Helen Fujita. His father Rod is a third generation Japanese-American who was born in an internment camp in the Arizona desert during World War II. Fujita grew up celebrating Japanese customs, and has always considered himself to be culturally half-Japanese.
