Louis Rees-Zammit is not the only former rugby union winger hoping to break into the NFL this season.
Travis Clayton, who has never played a competitive football game, was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the NFL draft as an offensive lineman.
Man Mountain Clayton, who last played rugby for Counties Division 2 Hampshire eighth-tier side Basingstoke RFC in March last year, joined the NFL Academy in 2019 and enrolled in the international player pathway program in January alongside Welsh sprinter Rees-Zammit.
The pair joined 14 other NFL hopefuls and headed to Florida in January for an intensive 10-week training camp. And while Rees-Zammit signed a three-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in March, Clayton, 23, impressed scouts from several teams during workouts.
At 21.9 pounds and 6-foot-7, Clayton is in good shape for a big man. He recently ran the 40-meter dash in 4.79 seconds, the fastest time recorded by Bills scouts for an offensive lineman in the last decade.
Travis Clayton is 6-foot-7 and can run the 40m in just 4.79 seconds — the fastest Buffalo Bills scouts have seen for an offensive lineman in a decade.
Louis Rees-Zammit won’t be the only former rugby star trying to break into the NFL this season.
‘I love the physical side of things. Being on the offensive line, being able to take your anger out on people legally, it’s great,” Clayton said. “I can use my strength to the best of my abilities.”
Clayton was in downtown Detroit, where a record 775,000 fans attended the three-day event, to hear his name called as the 221st overall pick on Saturday.
“It’s like a carnival here,” a cheerful Clayton said on Zoom in a Bills cap. “Everything was a bit blurry, but luckily I managed to get on stage in time, dragged left, right and centre. I hope I did well on stage.”
In addition to rugby, Clayton tried his hand at athletics, soccer, boxing, rowing and tennis and will soon join his new teammates for organized team activities, preparing for training camp in August.
‘I didn’t have any visits with the Bills, but look, it’s the NFL, man. Buffalo came to me. Buffalo loved me. I’m ready to go,” Clayton said. “I don’t think it’s really going to kick in yet until I get to Buffalo. But right now, it’s a world of emotions that’s going on. It’s crazy.’
After watching his workouts, the Bills bet on his athletic potential. Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer was impressed with Clayton’s tape and sent it to general manager Brandon Beane.
‘He was like, ‘Man, this guy is athletic.’ Obviously raw,” Beane said. “You know, I’ve never really seen him play football,” Beane added. ‘But I know he was a rugby player, a boxer and, from all indications, a great young man. And the measurable variables of it surprise off the page.’
The International Player Pathway was launched in 2017 with the intention of introducing international athletes of all backgrounds into the NFL.
In addition to rugby, Clayton tried his hand at athletics, soccer, boxing, rowing and tennis on his way to the NFL.
775,000 fans attended the three-day event to hear Clayton’s name called as the 221st overall pick.
Five graduates have made active NFL rosters, including British Nigerian Efe Obada of the Washington Commanders, who is entering his seventh NFL season, and Jordan Mailata, a former Australian rugby league player who is an offensive tackle with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now Clayton will have the opportunity to join that list. “I always had a dream to play in the NFL,” he added. ‘So, hearing my name, that’s exactly what I wanted. There are still many steps to take, but the first step is a big one. It’s a blessing.’