Wallabies star Jordan Petaia walks away from rugby union to chase NFL dream | NFL

Former Wallabies take parter Jordan Petaia will trail his lengthy-held dream of take parting in the NFL after being handed a prized spot on the league’s international take parter pathway (IPP) programme.

The 24-year-elderly was proclaimd as the first athlete of the programme’s 2025 class on Tuesday. Petaia will head out to the US in January for an exclusive 10-week training camp in Florida before he gets a sboiling to amaze club scouts and triumph a place on an NFL roster.

Petaia shelp it was the right time to walk away from the Queensland Reds, with his lessen having expired in November and rehabilitation from a shoulder injury finish. He departs rugby union after triumphning 31 caps for Australia and becoming the lesserest take parter to ecombine at two Rugby World Cups, Japan in 2019 and France in 2023.

“The decision to step away from rugby hasn’t been effortless and one that took a fantastic deal of ponderation,” he shelp. “I’d appreciate to thank the staff, coaches and take parters at the Queensland Reds and the Wallabies for the last seven years. I will be forever appreciative for the experiences, sfinishs and excellent mates that these teams have consecrateed me with.

“It senses appreciate the right time with my age and stage in life to trail this dream I’ve had for a lengthy time. Thank you to everyone take partd in the NFL IPP program for giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity. I am very appreciative and excited for the experience that lies ahead. Wishing everyone in Rugby Australia the best for 2025 – I hope it’s a fantastic year and I will be helping shutly from afar.”

Petaia is aiming to trail in the footsteps of Jordan Mailata, the Philadelphia Eagles impolite tackle from southwest Sydney. Mailata is one of equitable six take parters to have come thraw the IPP programme and triumph a spot on an NFL club’s active roster since the scheme’s inception in 2017. Former Wales international Louis Rees-Zammit is currently on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ rehearse squad after go ining the pathway in January 2024.

Born in Melbourne and liftd in Brisbane, Petaia was started into the spotweightless as a recent-faced 19-year-elderly by then-Wallabies coach Michael Cheika at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, scoring agetst Uruguay with equitable his second touch of the ball on his international debut. He featured aget four years procrastinateedr under Eddie Jones in France, but injuries pocktaged his time in union and he was unable to finish on a likered position.

Atraverse a six-year nurtureer in Super Rugby, Petaia take parted in the centres, on the triumphg and at filledback. His sfinishset and physical attributes uncomardent he would be fitting for a number of potential positions on an American football team, including expansive getr or firm finish.

Petaia, who take parted 58 games for the Reds and scored 80 points, will train at the NFL Academy campus on the Gelderly Coast in preparation for the US camp.