Utah tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham mentioned a basic blocking technique, and a half-dozen players nodded. Thomas Yassmin just stared straight ahead, his eyes widening.
There's no blocking in rugby. That explains why the Australian is enrolled this month in what Whittingham describes as Football 101, learning the fundamentals of a game that's foreign to him.
Punters such as Ute senior Mitch Wishnowsky and former star Tom Hackett and BYU’s Danny Jones have become common exports from Australia to college football programs, but position players making the journey are rare. Yassmin’s athletic ability made him irresistible to the Utes, who expect him to develop over five years in the program after almost certainly redshirting this season.