Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - New England Patriots defensive back Nate Ebner hopes the US rugby sevens team he's starring for at the Rio Olympics will blaze the trail for the sport's development back home.
Ebner, who also worked on special teams to help the Patriots capture Super Bowl XLIX last year, was given permission by the team last March to chase his Olympic dream, making him the only National Football League (NFL) player with a chance to capture gold in Brazil.
But Ebner is no rookie to rugby sevens, having become the youngest-ever US Sevens player at age 17 before going to Ohio State, where he split time with rugby and American football until he started his NFL career, never losing his love for rugby.