Houston -
Patriots special teams standout Nate Ebner walked on at Ohio State, earned a scholarship, was drafted by New England in the sixth round, won a Super Bowl ring following the 2014 season and last spring signed a two-year contract.
Then he played rugby for the United States at the Rio Olympics, risking his football career and financial well-being.
The Patriots supported his decision and Bill Belichick wore his jersey in training camp, but the decision remained risky.
The U.S. finished ninth in Rio. Ebner returned to the Patriots and was named a second-team All-Pro as a special teamer. Despite recovering from a concussion, he is expected to play on Sunday.
Rugby requires much more stamina than football. Ebner returned to camp this summer in excellent shape but lacking a little bulk required to play in the NFL.
``Physically, obviously the running does not hurt,'' he said. ``I came back from the Olympic run in some of the best shape of my life.''
He said the technique required to tackle effectively in rugby also helped him in football. He described the incessant sprinting in rugby as playing basketball and stopping periodcally to wrestle.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn also made a rugby reference this week, saying that he has studied the All Blacks, New Zealand's famous rugby team, for another perspective on training and tackling.
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz joined me on the Sports From Hell podcast. He told a great story about Morten Andersen. And one about Col. Klink. And offered the Atlanta perspective on Kent Hrbek. Great stuff, and it can be found with all of the shows at MNSPN.com.
@Souhanstrib
