Travis Clayton, an English rugby union winger enjoying within the eighth tier of home rugby, was chosen by the Buffalo Payments within the ultimate spherical of the NFL Draft.
The 23-year-old was the 221st general choose within the seventh spherical in Detroit.
Clayton, who has by no means performed American soccer competitively, is predicted to play as an offensive lineman.
His membership, Basingstoke, play within the Counties 2 Hampshire division, though he has not featured since March 2023.
“With rugby additionally being a staff sport, I imagine that helps tremendously,” Clayton stated.
“Extra importantly, enjoying the wing in rugby helps with the physicality aspect and with agility.”
Basingstoke coach Richard Cheetham stated Clayton’s transition has been “extraordinary” to witness.
“All of the gamers and the coaches would say he is a delicate large,” Cheetham instructed BBC South Information.
“He would not have that ferocity in his persona off the pitch, however on it has all these attributes.”
Clayton, who’s 6ft 7in, was chosen from the NFL’s Worldwide Participant Pathway programme, which makes an attempt to seek out gamers from exterior the US who’re appropriate for the game.
He accomplished the 40-yard sprint in 4.79 seconds throughout the NFL Mix, an occasion that collects information from gamers earlier than the draft.
The Payments stated Clayton’s sprint was the quickest they’d recorded from an offensive lineman prior to now 10 years.
In March former Wales rugby union star Louis Rees-Zammit joined Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs.
This yr, for the primary time, all 32 NFL franchises might be given an extra place of their follow squads particularly for worldwide gamers, together with those that have come by means of the pathway programme.
Groups who’ve a world participant of their follow squad may also be allowed to advertise them to their energetic roster, as much as 3 times throughout the season.