Louis Rees-Zammit's pursuit of the American dream caught many off guard, as the 22-year-old Welshman was one a promising wing and was the youngest British and Irish Lion to be selected since 1959 when chosen by Warren Gatland in 2021.
But with clubs like Worcester, Wasps and London Irish all folding in recent years, Rees-Zammit has sought a different pathway.
Various players from both rugby union and league have made the jump in the past. Some have made final squads, and others have failed, but the state of rugby could see a few more try their hand at scoring touchdowns instead of tries.
READ MORE: First NFL training footage drops of Louis Rees-Zammit since Wales star quit rugby
READ MORE: Roy Keane spotted watching NFL as official Twitter account pokes fun at Man Utd icon
Christian Wade
![Christian Wade](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article23286018.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/1_GettyImages-1162816743.jpg)
Former Wasps star Wade made headlines when ran 65 yards to the house with his first touch of the football for the Buffalo Bills in 2019, but his NFL career was unfortunately short-lived.
He bounced between the Bills practice squad and IR/COVID-19 list for a few years before eventually being released in 2022. Racing 92 in the Top 14 welcomed Wade back to Rugby with open arms after his NFL disappointment, and he continues to play for the French outfit.
Alex Gray
NFL and Rugby fans alike tuning into the new series of Gladiators that launched this year may have noticed a familiar face. Before Alex Gray starred as Apollo, he enjoyed a career as both a number 8 and a tight end.
His Rugby career began with Newcastle, before moving to London Irish and Yorkshire. He also featured for England Sevens before giving up the sport in 2017 with the aim to make an NFL roster.
![Alex Gray](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article31841328.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/2_434101Gladiators.jpg)
Like the majority of this list, he attended the 2017 NFL Combine through the International Player Pathway, and was signed to the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad.
A few years of signing futures contracts and staying with the practice squad were followed by his eventual release in 2019, in similar fashion to Wade, he re-joined the Premiership with Bath, but left them in the 2021 off-season.
Hayden Smith
![Smith only caught one pass in the NFL](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article32012767.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_San-Diego-Chargers-v-New-York-Jets.jpg)
Aussie Hayden Smith first landed on US soil as part of a basketball scholarship in New York. While there, he began playing rugby on the weekends, and soon enough he was picked for the All-American team in 2008.
This led to him signing for Saracens that year, playing 43 matches and earning a call-up to the US national team, which he qualified for on grounds of residency. He played all four of their 2011 World Cup games, but chose to take a break from rugby post-tournament.
He then turned to the NFL, and after working out for a number of teams, he landed with the New York Jets as a tight end. Smith did eventually make an appearance, and caught a single pass for 16 yards, but was released by the Jets in 2013.
He, like most of the others who made the leap, returned to rugby with Sarries immediately after his NFL release, and continued to play for the US until 2016, when he joined the lower leagues of English rugby and eventually retired
Christian Scotland-Williamson
![Scotland-Williamson was another NFL hopeful](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article32012770.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Harlequins-Squad-Photocall.jpg)
The former Worcester lock went viral for a tackle he made in 2017, and when we got out of his contract with the Premiership side, he looked toward the NFL for inspiration.
Scotland-Williamson's brother played basketball for the University of Alabama, so he was no stranger to heading across the pond, and was signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad.
But, like a lot of the other converted rugby stars, he was released a year later and returned home to England, where he made a brief stint for Harelquins.
After his failed NFL career, Scotland-Williamson looked to further his education, and has since passed his bar as he aims to become a 6ft9in barrister.
Would you make the switch to the NFL if given the chance? Let us know in the comments section below
Jordan Mailata
![Mailata has come on leaps and bounds under head coach Sirianni](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article32012769.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_NFL-DEC-03-49ers-at-Eagles.jpg)
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While not a rugby union player, Mailata is one of the International Player Pathway success stories. A rugby league player in his native Austrailia, Mailata was approached by NFL executives whilst he was debating his rugby future, and invited to try out.
After working out at IMG Academy in the US and attending a few combines, Mailata was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 7th round of the 2018 NFL draft.
His 6ft8in frame made him perfect for the offensive line, and despite a relatively lacklustre start filled with injuries, he eventually impressed and became the Eagle's starting left tackle.
His exploits helped the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII, where they were bested by the Kansas City Chiefs, but Mailata's help in keeping quarterback Jalen Hurts healthy earned him a hefty $64million contract, and he's become one of the standout international players in the league.