Wade: It can be tough, but I’m still chasing my NFL deam
CHRISTIAN Wade hasn’t looked back on rugby once since departing the sport for the NFL – opting to head to the gym rather than watch the Rugby World Cup matches at the sound of his alarm clock in the morning.
The Premiership’s third all-time leading tryscorer switched sports and timezones when he signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills in April and is steadfast in his need to continue to improve as an NFL running back to make the team’s 53-man roster.
Wade showed flashes of his natural ability which saw him rack up 82 tries for Wasps in scoring two touchdowns for the Bills during their preseason, his first coming off his first touch on the football field.
But as a complete newbie to American football, Wade was never likely to be picked for the final 53 and has had to settle for a place on the team’s practice squad since the start of the season in early September.
Explaining the role of the practice squad as ‘like being a reserve player’, Wade still trains every day in front of the team’s coaches and is party to the team’s most tightly-controlled asset – the offensive playbook.
But his chances of playing in a regular season match for the Bills remains a distant goal, at least for now.
“I came into it with an open mind, knowing I had a huge mountain to climb,” Wade, 28, told The Rugby
Paper. “I knew the challenge was going to be very difficult but I just trusted the process and I still trust it now.
“There’s definitely been days where I’ve been like ‘yo, this is really tough’ and I really had to push through.
“I’ve gone from learning the playbook to now knowing the playbook and making the plays.”
The mass of analytics at the core of NFL means Wade spends his days combining lifting weights in the gym to get him in the “best possible shape I’ve ever been in” with countless team meetings.
Most involve reviewing videos of his work on the training field with Bills running backs coach Kelly Skipper.
Wade identifies one player he is looking to learn some tricks from as Christian McCaffery of the Carolina Panthers.
“To see him beating players and scoring touchdowns, he’s a player I admire and one I aspire to be like,” Wade said.
Of RWC2019, Wade says: “I didn’t get to watch much because of the time zones. The matches were coming on the TV at 4am or 6am, I’m awake then sometimes but I’m usually working out.
“For England to get to the final was amazing. It was a shame we couldn’t lift the cup again. Those are the guys I grew up with.
“I’m really proud of (Springbok captain) Siya Kolisi. We played against each other in 2008 when we travelled to South Africa for an U18s tour and been friends since.”
Of his running back aspirations, he adds: “I’m still probably the weakest link here.
“It’s not been easy, but I’ve been able to cope with it because of my ten-year professional career in Rugby Union.”