- Rugby star Jordan Petaia is chasing his NFL dreams
- He played two Rugby World Cups with the Wallabies.
- Petaia to attend NFL development camp in Florida
Jordan Petaia plans to wow NFL scouts with his versatility as the rugby star takes his first and last chance to scratch an American football itch.
As AAP revealed in September, two-time world champion Wallaby Petaia abandoned his contract with the Queensland Reds to try his luck in the United States.
The 24-year-old confirmed Tuesday that he will attend January’s exclusive NFL International Player Pathway (IPP) development camp in Florida.
“The decision to walk away has not been easy,” he wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
‘I will always be grateful for the experiences… I feel like it is the right time in my career to pursue this dream that I have had for a long time.
“Thank you to the NFL IPP for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Jordan Petaia (pictured) left rugby to pursue his NFL dreams in the US.
Petaia, who played with the Wallabies in two World Cups, left the union
Out of contract at Ballymore after November, Petaia has rehabilitated from a shoulder injury that ruined his 2024 season.
He has the blessing of the Reds, where he will likely return if things don’t go well at the IMG Academy in Bradenton.
Petaia burst onto the scene with a historic debut for the Wallabies aged just 19 in the 2019 World Cup and Eddie Jones preferred her at center in the 2023 final.
But, in the middle, his career has been hampered by a variety of injuries and he has been unable to settle on a preferred position after being tried at centres, on the wing and at full-back.
Armed with a unique combination of speed, power, agility and coordination, Petaia will look to prove to scouts that he can play numerous positions, including wide receiver, tight end or on special teams.
A long-time NFL fan, Petaia turned down lucrative European rugby and NRL offers and will instead forego his salary for at least five months to pursue his American dream.
It’s the same program that launched Jordan Mailata’s NFL career with Sydney giant Philadelphia, one of five internationals to make an active roster since the program began in 2017.
The IPP’s 24-year limit means this is Petaia’s last chance to join that exclusive group.
He will attend January’s exclusive NFL International Player Pathway (IPP) camp in Florida.
Australian Jordan Mailata made a successful move to the NFL to play in Philadelphia
Last year, former Gold Coast VFL talent Patrick Murtagh, a school decathlon champion, moved from IPP to the Detroit Lions before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But the tight end was released in August after breaking his ankle in practice and never played in a game.
Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne was part of the San Francisco 49ers’ active squad as a halfback, making eight appearances in 2015.
That was before the arrival of the IPP, which was designed to streamline the inclusion of foreign talent and not interfere with the traditional draft system.
NRL flyer Valentine Holmes joined the New York Jets practice squad from the IPP in 2019 but quickly aborted after a pre-season of limited opportunities.
But Petaia could benefit from a new rule introduced last season that allows clubs to have one international player, in addition to their active squad, who can play up to three games in a season.
There are currently 18 IPP products on NFL rosters, including Welsh rugby winger Louis Rees-Zammit, who is on Jacksonville’s training squad after being among the last to be cut by the Kansas City Chiefs.