Former Wallabies utility back Jordan Petaia was one of 14 foreigners who participated in rigorous testing as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) Pro Day trials on Thursday.
It was confirmed last December that Petaia was heading to the United States to join the IPP, which gives elite athletes from around the world the chance to earn a spot on an NFL roster and increase the number of international players in the league.
The 25-year-old, who has won 31 Wallabies caps and represented Australia at the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups, is following a similar path to Louis Rees-Zammit, the former Wales speedster, and former Australian rugby league player Jordan Mailata.
Rees-Zammit is currently contracted with NFL outfit Jacksonville Jaguars , while Mailata won this year’s Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Participated in IPP trials in front of NFL scouts
On Thursday, Petaia was put through his paces at the IPP trials in front of NFL scouts as part of the University of South Florida’s Pro Day.
He revealed the reasoning behind his code switch and is determined to realise his dream of playing in the NFL.
“I just love the diversity,” Petaia told Mirror U.S. Sports. “There’s so many different aspects of the game. You’ve got two sides of the ball so you can’t do everything like you can in rugby.
“There’s a lot to learn, a lot of different rules, and a lot of different schemes, so it’s pretty cool. It’s a bit like a game of chess, but I’m enjoying learning all the different aspects of the game.”
When it was announced last year that Petaia would be joining the IPP, he said he has been following the NFL since he was a kid.
Petaia also revealed recently that he has been in contact with Rees-Zammit and Mailata over the past 12 months.
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“I spoke to Louis Rees-Zammit when he entered the programme last year and I was fully supportive of him and thought that was awesome for him to make the league and do so well in that,” Petaia said.
“Jordan Mailata, coming from Australia, he’s probably the best in his position in the league, so he’s done tremendous.
‘He just told us to keep our heads down and work hard’
“We were lucky enough to spend some time with him in camp here and learn from him and take a lot of good advice. He just told us to keep our heads down and work hard; I think work ethic’s the biggest thing they thrive on here.
“It’s just about covering all aspects of the game and not getting too ahead of yourself – and just enjoying it as well. It’s easier to look far ahead without worrying about tomorrow, so I think that’s the biggest thing Louis and Jordan said.”
Apart from Rees-Zammit and Mailata, former NRL star and Fiji sevens representative Jarryd Hayne also had a brief stint with the San Francisco 49ers in 2015 and 2016 and Petaia is keen to follow in their footsteps by signing a contract with an NFL outfit.
“I started playing rugby at quite a young age, and I saw all the other Aussies sort of go over, other fellow rugby players as well go over in their careers and have a crack,” he said.
”I think that’s something I looked up to and drew inspiration from and, as a fan of the game and someone who loves the aspect of playing sports at a high level, I thought with the opportunity there, it’s something I always wanted to go chase after and pursue.
”It’s definitely something I spoke about early on in my rugby career and jerked around about. When the opportunity came, I couldn’t turn it down. I just want to give it everything I got.”
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