New England Patriots safety Nate Ebner will take a leave of absence from the NFL to train with the USA rugby sevens team as they prepare for the Rio Olympics in August.
The Patriots announced on Tuesday that they had re-signed the four-year veteran defensive back, who was an unrestricted free agent. He will begin training with the national rugby team in California and rejoin the Patriots after the Olympic rugby sevens competition concludes on 11 August.
“First and foremost, I want to thank the Patriots from top to bottom for giving me the opportunity to come back and play for a truly first-class organization,” Ebner told ESPN.com. “I also want to thank them and USA Rugby for giving me the opportunity to chase a dream I’ve had since I was a boy in a sport in which I’ve always had a passion. I can’t put into words how much this opportunity means to not only me, but my friends and family as well.
Ebner established himself as a rugby player long before his football exploits. At 17, he became the youngest ever player to play for the USA sevens team. He would later join Ohio State’s vaunted football team as a walk-on despite having never played at the high school level. There, he appeared in 36 career games as a special teams player between 2009 and 2011 before he was selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL draft.
We are proud to support @Natebner34 in his effort to earn a place on the United States National Rugby team.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) March 15, 2016
“I plan to represent the Patriots and our country to the best of my ability,” added Ebner. “Thanks again and Go Pats and go USA.”
