- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
You’re 24, already had numerous major injuries and played for three different NRL clubs in less than five years, making just 18 games in the top grade. Next step? Play in the world’s most attended football league.
This scenario may be ambitious to say the least but it is the quest currently being undertaken by former Tigers, Dragons and Sydney Roosters NRL winger Peni Tagive, as he jets out to take up an athletic scholarship to play American football.
In making the move, Tagive has raised the bar for goal setting and, if nothing else, added another chapter to the weird pen-pal like relationship rugby league and American football have shared over the years.
First things first.
For those wondering in 40 odd days’ time why Tagive isn’t playing quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Peni will be playing college football, at Baylor University.
And the term playing is a pretty loose one here, as exactly what Tagive’s football experience will entail could vary wildly depending on how he can transfer his skills to a different sport.
In saying that though, it is not as if Tagive is heading overseas to play holder for a community college out the back of Butte either.
The fact Baylor is in Texas tells you they take football seriously enough, and there’s the fact the Bears’ 50,000 seat Floyd Casey stadium could quite comfortably accommodate the 8,972 attendance that was Tagive’s fan-base in his final year at Newtown.
Also, some bloke named RG3 (did his parents name him after a number plate?) who won a Heineken award or something used to go round for them too.
All jokes aside, what Tagive has already achieved in obtaining a scholarship is a pretty big deal, and when you consider that a lot of blokes who were facing their dream fading away at such a young age may have decided to put on 60kg and play for the Killarney Cutters, he looks a bloke who got tossed a lemon and made it into a multinational lemonade conglomerate.
On top of this, Tagive also has the chance to actually make a bit of a name for Australian rugby league if he really hits his straps.
There have been a few false starts over the years. Before he was flogging fleecy track tops, Paul Sironen had a year training with the Hawaiian Warriors, and former Kangaroo Mark Harris was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles (the Greg Smith’s old club) before settling to punt in Canada instead.
Ever since he made his NRL debut in 2008 it’s been pretty clear the talent Tagive possesses, and if this former Newtown Jet could finally repay the NFL for Manfred Moore I think all rugby league fans would be proud.
While an NFL berth for Tagive in the future is a long shot that Sav Rocca would struggle to punt the distance of, the fact a player who was cruelled by injury has (if nothing else) gotten another shot at his dream and a free education to boot makes you feel pretty good as a sports fan.
Clear eyes? Full heart?
The kid can’t lose.
Hey, supercoach? Choose your own ultimate NFL team and compete with other players for cash prizes in daily competitions on any match. If you’re after the best odds on the NFL, PlayUp is your best bet. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.