▁Before ▁the ▁series ▁was ▁published ▁regularly , ▁Ri ich iro ▁In ag aki ▁and ▁Y us u ke ▁Mur ata ▁published ▁two ▁one - sh ots ▁called ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁on ▁March ▁ 5 ▁and ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁in ▁Week ly ▁Sh ō nen ▁J ump . ▁When ▁it ▁would ▁become ▁a ▁serial , ▁the ▁editor ial ▁department ▁asked ▁if ▁In ag aki ▁wanted ▁to ▁both ▁write ▁and ▁draw ▁the ▁series , ▁but ▁In ag aki ▁felt ▁he ▁was ▁" so ▁ro ok ie ", ▁so ▁he ▁asked ▁Mur ata ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁illustr ator . ▁Before ▁being ▁asked ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁E yes h ield ▁ 2 1 , ▁Mur ata ▁had ▁read ▁some ▁of ▁In ag aki ' s ▁m anga ▁and ▁noted ▁that ▁they ▁" had ▁many ▁cool ▁design ▁concepts ▁of ▁uniform s ▁and ▁equipment ". ▁He ▁said , ▁" it ▁could ▁be ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁great ▁m anga ▁story " ▁and ▁he ▁would ▁" be ▁happy ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁challenge "; ▁eventually ▁he ▁was ▁chosen . ▁ ▁During ▁E yes h ield ▁ 2 1 ▁original ▁run ▁in ▁the ▁magazine , ▁In ag aki ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁see ▁college ▁football ▁matches , ▁and ▁National ▁Football ▁League ▁games . ▁Despite ▁having ▁never ▁played ▁American ▁football , ▁In ag aki ▁chose ▁this ▁theme ▁after ▁dec iding ▁that ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁create ▁" a ▁protagon ist ▁that ▁was ▁w im py ▁at ▁the ▁beginning , ▁yet ▁could ▁perform ▁out standing ly ▁in ▁a