'A shot worth taking' - from office job to the NFL

This clip past year, Travis Clayton was moving for a institution which carries retired pre-employment inheritance checks.

He had besides been playing for his section squad Basingstoke successful nan eighth-tier of English rugby.

Yet nan 23-year-old Briton now has 1 of nan most-coveted jobs successful world athletics - American shot player.

After a whirlwind 2024, Clayton is group to statesman his first play pinch nan Buffalo Bills, who pulled disconnected a daze successful this year's NFL draft by selecting a subordinate who was yet to play a azygous game.

"Last twelvemonth I was moving an agency job," he told BBC Sport. "I surely didn't deliberation I'd beryllium stood present now playing for nan Bills, I tin show you that.

"But I ever had nan passion to get into American football. I conscionable needed a pathway to get pushed into."

Here is really Clayton went from that agency occupation to a multi-million dollar statement - and really he is getting connected truthful far.

Clayton played respective sports increasing up and, successful 2019, he attended a proceedings for nan NFL Academy - which was launched that twelvemonth successful nan UK.

The programme gives teenagers from Europe and Africa full-time coaching and an education, pinch a position to them earning assemblage scholarships successful nan US.

Clayton only spent a little play pinch nan academy, not realising nan opportunity it offered him, truthful erstwhile his 2nd chance came on he was wished to return afloat advantage.

He attended a proceedings for nan NFL's International Player Pathway, launched successful 2017, and on pinch Wales rugby prima Louis Rees-Zammit, was among nan 16 athletes selected for nan 2024 programme.

In January they flew to nan US for a 10-week training camp, and Clayton was earmarked arsenic an violative lineman, a subordinate whose main occupation is to artifact opponents and protect their ain quarterback, alternatively than moving pinch nan ball.

"I retrieve nan first convention successful Florida," he said. "It was each astir getting your assemblage successful awkward positions that I haven't been successful before.

"In rugby, a batch of nan clip you're connected your toes. As an violative lineman, you're much flat-footed, truthful it was astir adjusting to nan different angles of your hips and your legs."

Clayton was adjusting well, arsenic he demonstrated successful March astatine his Pro Day, erstwhile assemblage players are assessed by NFL scouts earlier nan draught successful April.

Clayton's playing position was wished by his size. He is 6ft 7in and weighs 301lbs (137 kg). Yet it was his velocity that made teams beryllium up and return notice.

He ran nan 40-yard dash successful 4.79secs. It was nan fastest clip recorded by an violative lineman successful 10 years.

"That's rather rare, for a 300lb man," he said. "That's erstwhile I thought immoderate teams mightiness beryllium interested."

Clayton past visited 5 NFL teams. They did not see Buffalo, though Clayton did person a telephone pinch 1 of nan Bills' coaches to "go done immoderate basics" earlier nan draft.

Clayton attended nan three-day arena successful Detroit pinch 4 different IPP players and, precocious successful nan 3rd day, they were group to beryllium introduced together connected shape to item nan programme.

"It sewage to a constituent wherever I thought 'I don't deliberation I'm going to get picked'," said Clayton. "Then my supplier sewage a telephone from nan Bills. I didn't cognize they were afloat willing truthful I was surprised.

"We were astir to spell connected shape truthful we each had to tally information nan backmost truthful I could get nan telephone disconnected my supplier and speak to nan wide head and nan caput coach, and they said 'let's get it on'."

After a brief travel home, Clayton reported for work little than 2 weeks later. On his first time successful Buffalo, he signed his rookie contract, met prima backmost Josh Allen and sewage acquainted pinch his caller office.

"I don't deliberation it really kicked successful until I saw my sanction successful nan locker room," Clayton said. "That's erstwhile I thought 'OK, now I'm successful this business. Now it's clip to work'."

Since May, Clayton has been going done nan rigours of pre-season training, tackling NFL players for nan first time. He has had to study nan playbook, pre-snap cadences, moreover really to put his pads on.

"It's been a awesome acquisition but, for me, it's a developmental period," Clayton added.

"I conscionable request to turn arsenic a player, support improving and getting that other 1% each day."

All 5 IPP players that were connected shape successful Detroit are now pinch NFL teams.

They person been portion of their team's training squad, aiming to gain a spot connected nan 53-man progressive roster for nan regular season. Teams must taxable them earlier 21:00 BST connected Tuesday, 27 August.

However, Clayton is improbable to make nan cut. His chances were deed by a enarthrosis wounded astatine nan extremity of July.

That has denied him nan opportunity to play successful immoderate of nan Bills' 3 pre-season games, truthful he is still waiting to play his first crippled of American football.

But Clayton, arsenic pinch each IPP players, tin stay connected nan team's believe squad during nan season, and beryllium promoted to nan progressive roster up to 3 times.

That would dangle connected really he trains during nan play and whether he develops for illustration Jordan Mailata, nan only different IPP subordinate to beryllium selected successful nan draft.

In 2018, nan Australian was besides an violative lineman pinch nary American shot experience, but capable imaginable for a squad to return a chance connected him successful nan seventh round.

The Philadelphia Eagles saw Mailata arsenic a semipermanent project.

He did not play until 2020 - but nan bet yet paid off.

Mailata is now 1 of nan league's champion and helped nan Eagles scope nan Super Bowl successful 2023.

The Bills' wide head Brandon Beane said, external drafting Clayton was "a changeable worthy taking", and that "if he came moreover adjacent to [Mailata], it would beryllium good worthy that selection".

Only clip will show connected that front.