South Africa’s Eiselen changes games, becomes NFL prospect
On Saturday in Yokohama, Japan, South Africa and New Zealand will meet in one of the most anticipated matchups of the Rugby World Cup. On the field for the Springboks will be Herschel Jantjies, a 23year-old Stellenbosch native who plays for the Stormers of Super Rugby.
And 6,745 miles away at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Jantjies’ high school rugby teammate, Dieter Eiselen, will lead the Bulldogs as they open their season against Holy Cross. Andhe’ll do it as an offensive lineman, in a sport he only played for one year before college.
Eiselen grew up in Stellenbosch, South Africa, a city situated in wine country just outside Cape Town. Like everyone around him, he started playing rugby at a young age, but when he got older he started to develop an interest in American football. He doesn’t remember a specific time or moment that spiked his interest, but he started watching games whenever he could.
Because of the time difference, he would sometimes have to download games or watch the day after. He also had another trick for learning the game.
“Started playing a whole lot of Madden,” he said. “Got really good at Madden 15, spent an ungodly amount of hours playing that game. I’m unbeatable in that game.”
Eiselen found out about a program where he could take a fifth year of high school at a prep school in the United States, so he emailed about 50 coaches and asked if they’d be interested. He eventually decided on Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, and after he graduated he came to the U.S. to live with a host family.
It didn’t take long for college coaches to take notice of his 6-foot-4, 310 pound frame. He attended a number of developmental camps in the area, and eventually earned an offer from coach Tony Reno at Yale.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Eiselen said. “The guy who was gonna be my coach at Choate, we were both just driving back laughing like we just robbed a bank. I was really happy about it and ecstatic, and I committed a week later. I didn’t really wanna go anywhere else.”
Eiselen was still learning the ins and outs of football when he got to New Haven, but he had good instincts from his time playing rugby. Reno had never coached a guy he had to literally teach the game to, but he recognized Eiselen’s talent and knew he could be special.
He also saw things Eiselen had learned from rugby that he could use in football.
“I think there’s parts of the game that fit in well with football,” Reno said. “In the game of rugby, you have to play with leverage, and he knew to play with his hips down, play with his hands and use his body to be able to sustain scrums and for us sustain blocks.”
Eiselen started five games as a freshman, a rarity for Yale. By his junior year, he was starting every game at guard and earned second team All-Ivy League honors after the year. Now, as he prepares for his senior year, he’s a second team preseason Phil Steele FCS AllAmerican and is considered a prospect for next year’s NFL Draft.
Senior quarterback Kurt Rawlings has also been a starter since his first year in New Haven and has formed a tight bond with Eiselen. To learn more about South Africa, Rawlings and a few other players took a Zulu class with Eiselen during their freshman year. They’re also constantly reminded of his rugby roots, but they