Kiwis’ chance to make the NFL
Think you’ve got the brute strength, explosive speed, and gazelle-like agility to crack it professionally as an American Football player?
Kiwi sportsmen have the rare opportunity to take the first formative steps towards a possible career in the world’s richest sports league, the National Football League (NFL).
The NFL has partnered with Australian company, Pacific Sports Management, and for the first time combine testing will be staged outside the United States, in the Oceania region.
Testing sessions will be held in Samoa, Fiji, and Australia, with New Zealand featuring next week. The New Zealand testing days will be held in Auckland on Wednesday (at Unitec Institute of Technology) and Wellington next Sunday (Wellington College).
From the Oceania testing days, up to 75 athletes will be selected and taken to the Gold Coast to participate in the NFL International Combine from October 5-6. All costs are covered by the NFL.
Up to five athletes, with the potential to make it in the NFL, will then be picked to attend the IMG Academy in Florida for three months before hopefully entering the 2019 NFL combine and draft.
Former South Sydney Rabbitohs under-20s rugby league player Jordan Mailata has been a catalyst for the idea of targeting Oceania.
Mailata, a 2.03m tall, 157kg hulk, was selected in the seventh round of April’s NFL draft by Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, despite having never played the sport.
The 21-year-old Sydneysider spent time at the IMG Academy and caught the eye of Eagles’ scouts with his physicality and sharp pace.
Mailata has turned out for the Eagles in pre-season and the offensive tackle is trying to lock down a spot on their 53-man roster for the start of the upcoming season.
Pacific Sports general manager commercial Brett Pickett believed New Zealand could be a breeding ground for future NFL talent.
‘‘With all due respect, we’re not looking for badminton players here. We’re looking for guys that can run fast and that can move and are big, strong guys that can handle the physicality that comes with playing NFL.
‘‘New Zealand ticks all those boxes. You guys have got a lot of great athletes and you’ve got a lot of great programmes, which is clearly demonstrated by the All Blacks and the rugby league teams over there.’’
At the Auckland and Wellington combine sessions, five physical exercises will be carried out – the 40 yard dash, vertical jump, short shuttle, broad jump, and a three cone drill to measure agility.
NFL testing teams will bring in their measuring equipment and record the weight and height of players. Data and video will then be sent to the NFL talent scouts, who will converse with Pacific Sports. They will whittle the list down to a maximum of 75 for October’s NFL International Combine on the Gold Coast.
Pickett said they were targeting not just rugby union and league players in New Zealand, but athletes from other codes with the quickness, physical strength, and toughness to succeed in American Football.
Athletes need to be between the ages of 21-25 in 2019 to participate, so they are eligible for the 2019 NFL draft.
‘‘We genuinely believe there’s ample athletes in your country that can make a go of this.’’
Australian rugby league star Jarryd Hayne made the switch to the NFL in 2015, playing for the San Francisco 49ers, mostly on special teams. Several Australians have made the NFL as punters.
A handful of players with New Zealand links or born in the country have also broken into the league.
New York Giants tight end Rhett Ellison spent three years in Christchurch as a child, attending St Andrew’s College. His Christchurch-born father, Riki, was a three-time Super Bowl winner with the 49ers.
American Football isn’t just for 150kg behemoths. There is a multitude of different offensive and defensive positions and Pickett said a range of body types could excel depending on their role in the team.
They plan to make the Oceania combine testing an annual event.
‘‘New Zealand ticks all those boxes. You guys have got a lot of great athletes and you’ve got a lot of great programmes.’’ Pacific Sports general manager commercial Brett Pickett