Louis Rees-Zammit and Super Bowl champ inspire rugby star to fulfill NFL dream

Jordan Petaia dreams of being the next international NFL success story.

Last year, Louis Rees-Zammit rocked the world of rugby when the Wales winger decided to switch to the NFL on the eve of the Six Nations.

He has since signed with both the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars , and is currently on the active roster of the AFC South franchise .

In February, Jordan Mailata became the first Australian to ever win the Super Bowl .

The former rugby league player is the International Player Pathways greatest success, becoming perhaps the best tackle in the league after successfully transitioning to the NFL, culminating in his Philadelphia Eagles crushing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX .

Now, Petaia is hoping to follow the example set by both Rees-Zammit and Mailata in swapping rugby for gridiron.

Having earned 31 caps at international level for the Wallabies, which spanned two World Cups, the 25-year-old has decided to try his luck at reaching the NFL.

I just love the diversity, Petaia exclusively 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.

Petaia has been an NFL fan for some time, starting a tradition in his household of watching games along with his brothers.

He rejected lucrative European rugby and NRL offers to pursue his American dream on a path previously trodden by Rees-Zammit and Mailata, who Petaia has been in contact with.

I spoke to Louis Rees-Zammit when he entered the program 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.

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.

Its just about covering all aspects of the game and not getting too ahead of yourself - and just enjoying it as well.

Its easier to look far ahead without worrying about tomorrow, so I think that's the biggest thing Louis and Jordan said.

Along with Mailata, former NRL star Jarryd Hayne famously cracked the San Francisco 49ers active squad as a running back and made eight appearances in 2015.

Petaia is desperate to prove he belongs, with his Australia teammates stoked for him as he embarks on a new chapter.

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.

Its 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.

Petaia made a historic Wallabies debut at just 19 years of age at the 2019 World Cup, and was preferred at centre by Eddie Jones at the 2023 showpiece.

Injuries might have disrupted his career - but an innate athleticism and talent remain.

Armed with a unique combination of speed, power, agility, and coordination, Petaia will attempt to prove to scouts he can play numerous positions, including receiver, tight end, and across special teams.

IPP coaches in Florida have raved about Petaias versatility and ability to cover, so it will be interesting to see what position the Australians skillset best fits.

I've been doing a little bit of tailback too- just trying my hand all over the place, Petaia added.

Im loving it all.

I think it's probably more the schemes and the plays that, you know, that probably, yeah, light my eyes up the most.

But how does getting hit compare from rugby to the NFL? Oh, yeah, no, these guys definitely hit hard here, Petaia said with a smile.

Nah, the collisions are different.

You feel them.

Its very intense..

This article has been shared from the original article on themirror, here is the link to the original article.