Sunahara Ready for NFL Debut with his Hometown Cleveland Browns

In a league of opportunity, the chance to make an active roster and play on Sundays in the NFL drives players in the UFL. But the chance to suit up for your hometown team - a team you grew up rooting for as a kid - brings a different element to the equation.

For San Antonio Brahmas long snapper Rex Sunahara, that dream becomes a reality Sunday when he dons No. 50 for his hometown Cleveland Browns as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles. His official NFL debut takes place on the road at Lincoln Financial Field at Noon. CT.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to get the opportunity to compete and play in the NFL,” Sunahara said. “But to do it for a team you grew up watching, cheering for brings an extra level of special.”

The Browns signed Sunahara to the active roster last Wednesday after officially placing veteran long snapper Charley Hughlett on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least four games. It’s Sunahara’s second stint with the Browns since the UFL season ended in June. He signed with the organization in August, played in preseason games, earned a spot on the practice squad after training camp but was released soon after. On Sunday, he’ll replace Hughlett, who’s played in 152 consecutive games for the Browns, which ranks 14th on the Browns career games played list.

“Charley has been great,” Sunahara said. “In every sense of the word, he’s a true professional. Someone you would want to have on your team. He’s helped me watch film. He’s helped me understand tendencies and how to go about my job. Having Charley as a veteran has been so helpful to me and so helpful for so many other guys. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Sunahara is a native of Bay Village, Ohio. He played high school football at nearby Bay High for the Bay Rockets - “best high school in the state” according to Sunahara. Getting to the Browns training facility is easy as it’s 11 miles from Berea. 

Sunahara played football, basketball and baseball at Bay High. He played football and was a basketball walk-on at the University of Rhode Island after graduating from Bay. After one season with the Rhode Island Rams, he transferred to West Virginia and made the Mountaineers football team as a walk-on long snapper. His father Reid was the head volleyball coach for the Mountaineers.

Sunahara celebrated his 28th birthday on Oct. 9, the same day he signed with the Browns and took a step back from a job breaking down stages at the House of Blues in Cleveland for some extra cash. 

A mainstay in legacy XFL and now the UFL, Sunahara played in 20 regular season games the last two seasons with the Brahmas and two postseason games. He’s been part of one of the top special teams kicking units in XFL 2023 and the UFL in 2024. In 2024, San Antonio ranked second in punting averaging (45.9 yards per punt) and led the UFL in punts downed inside the 20 (12) with Sunahara working with veteran NFL punter Brad Wing. In 2023, Sunahara, Wing and kicker Parker Romo were one of the top batteries in the league as Wing led XFL 2023 in punting (47.9 yards per punt) and Romo led the league in kicking (17-of-19 field goals) and earned All-XFL honors.

Originally signed by Miami as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he has spent time on the practice squads in Miami, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. 

“I wouldn't have been able to do this without playing the last two seasons first in the XFL and then the UFL,” Sunahara said. “Without the XFL and without the UFL, I would have been just sitting around. I wouldn't have played a meaningful football game since college, but with the opportunities that the XFL and the UFL gave me, I was able to play two full seasons of professional football and that’s what helped me get ready to navigate this new challenge ahead of me.” 

Sunahara joins Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates (Detroit Lions), Arlington Renegades defensive lineman Jalen Redmond (Minnesota Vikings) and Birmingham Stallions defensive end Dondrea Tillman (Denver Broncos) in seeing action on an active roster in 2024 from the UFL. 

“It’s going to be awesome,” he said about his Sunday NFL debut. “I’m super excited. My mom’s coming. My girlfriend will be there. Cousins, my uncle and a buddy from high school will be there. It’s gonna be great. I’m just really excited to finally be able to play in an NFL game.”