Jotham Russell, a young athlete with Nigerian heritage, transitioned from rugby league in Australia to the NFL after being identified by scouts for the International Player Pathway (IPP) program. Russell, who played for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in Queensland, impressed scouts with his physique and potential. He now finds himself on the practice squad of the New England Patriots, a testament to his athleticism and the growing interest in international talent in the NFL.
Jotham Russell runs a drill during a Patriots training camp in August. ‘I know what my faults are and what I need to work on,’ he says. Jotham Russell runs a drill during a Patriots training camp in August. ‘I know what my faults are and what I need to work on,’ he says.talent scouts seem to have found two avenues well worth pursuing.
That was enough for the scouts to believe he had serious potential. Born in Canberra but raised on the Gold Coast, Jotham was a prop in the Brisbane Broncos academy before switching to the wing. Now 21, Russell’s 6ft 4in 239lb frame cries “NRL second-rower”. Hence the defensive role in the 11-man code.
The first thing Russell did when signing up for the trials was listen to Mailata’s podcast and the former Rabbitohs player spoke with the youngster at the IMG camp, who was working out in his Seagulls vest. While his IPP status exempts him from their 90-man roster, the Patriots would not have retained Russell if they did not see potential.While about 45 players get on the field most weeks, Russell is among 17 practice squad hopefuls watching and learning.
He is pleased with what he has picked up in the first few months of an entirely new sport. “Being from rugby where we think and move, I think I can really simplify it and slow it down,” Russell says, “especially when it’s third and long on a pass-rush: I know my job is to get to the quarterback, so it becomes an instinctive movement and I can just play fast. That would be my strength.
In theory, the IPP gives crossover athletes time to learn their new craft. However, recruiters have realised the younger they start, the better. “The programme gives me three years, although they can’t say it will be three years,” Russell says. He was the ninth former rugby player to sign up for the opportunity since Alex Gray, the former Newcastle and London Irish player, opened the way in the second year of the IPP.
NFL Rugby League International Player Pathway Jotham Russell New England Patriots
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