The Detroit Lions have added 21-year-old Australian rugby player Laki Tasi to their roster via the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program, according to a post from Taki on Instagram.
In an interview with ESPN, Tasi, 21, revealed he recently learned about the NFL while eating at a burger joint. The owner encouraged him to look into the International Pathways Program, which allowed Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata, a Super Bowl champion and second-team All-Pro, to reach the league.
“I didn’t know who … Jordan Mailata (was) and what the NFL is. As soon as I search up the YouTube about Jordan Mailata and the NFL IPP, I realized how big it is,” Tasi said via ESPN.
The IPP program began in 2016 and provides players outside of the United States and Canada with a more direct path to the NFL. While the Lions have rostered players who have come through the program after first joining other teams, including defensive tackle David Bada and offensive lineman Max Pircher, Tasi will be the first player from the program to join the Lions as his first team.
IPP players do not count against a team’s roster limit, meaning Tasi will be free to develop at his own pace without the Lions having to worry about performing roster gymnastics to keep him on board. Tasi will be participating in the Lions’ rookie minicamp next month.
Tasi participated in an IPP pro day last month. According to NFL Network’s Scott Pioli, Tasi “has played at the highest levels of rugby in Australia, picking up the sport in his early teens and eventually playing in the rugby league and rugby union.”
Pioli continued, “At 6-foot-6, 348 pounds with 34-inch arms, Tasi has very good size and the tools to be a big interior defensive lineman, along with the toughness and makeup to play in the trenches. He possesses a strong and intriguing combination of developmental tools, stature and mindset.”