Back in October, former NFL running back Ahman Green was approached by USA Rugby wanting to play rugby. However, this wasn’t the first time Green flirted with the idea of trying the sport. The retired running back once considered playing during Al Caravelli’s tenure as the Eagles Sevens coach, however that never flourished. This time though, could be the real deal.
Green was given a tryout for the sevens team at the Olympic Training Center back in October. While he may not have won a spot on the team, the tryout started a relationship between Green and USA Rugby.
In January the former Green Bay Packer running back served as Team USA’s liaison officer at the 2014 USA 7s tournament in Las Vegas. This provided Green an opportunity to learn the game “by watching.”
In an interview with RUGBYMag’s Pat Clifton (here’s the link of the interview,) Green admitted that he has been a fan of rugby as long as he has been one of football. Since October he has started watching film and learning the rules so he can pick up the game quicker.
In January, Green told Clifton that he wants to play rugby in the future, and that’s what he’s striving for. Currently, Green is playing rugby with the Green Bay Ball Strikers Rugby Club; which he’s the president of. 
The question looms, could Ahman Green be the key to building rugby in the United States? Green found a lot of success in the NFL during his prime, and could be the ticket to a successful rugby program in the States. A lot of football players graduate from college every spring, and there aren’t nearly enough spots on NFL rosters for all of them. If they hear the success story that Ahman Green has experienced, they may consider the sport themselves.
What do you think? Do you think Ahman Green could be the answer?
