In 2016, Nate Ebner became the first athlete with NFL regular season experience to compete in the Summer Olympics less than five months after returning to rugby. He plans to repeat the feat this summer.
Ebner, a 32-year-old New York Giants security man known for his special teamwork, announced on Giants.com on Monday that he was doing it again for the US Olympic rugby team tries.
USA Rugby later confirmed that Ebner has joined its residential camp with about 30 players competing for 12 Olympic courses to be named in late June or early July.
The news comes exactly five years after Ebner announced his first Olympic offer – seven years away from his junior team, days before he focused on football in the state of Ohio and later won Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
Im Ebner was successful in one respect in 2016. He made the US team of 12 for Rio, where rugby returned to the Olympic program for the first time since 1924, and started the last two group games.
But he left Brazil unsatisfied. The USA were heart-wrenchingly excluded from the medal contest ahead of the knockout rounds.
Captain Madison Hughes missed a late two-point conversion attempt from outside against Fiji in the group final. Had he made it, the Americans would still have lost to the Fijians, but they would have been able to sneak one in on the tiebreaking point differential to the quarterfinals. Instead, they finished ninth.
« Not getting a medal at these last Olympics is something that really bothers me, » said Ebner, according to Giants.com. « When I think about what’s important in my life, if I’m honest, it was a high priority. People say, ‘You were the guy who won a gold medal in the Olympics,’ and I say, » No, we didn’t win a medal. « No medal won, especially when I thought we had the team to do this, and if I look at the growth over the past five years, we definitely have an even better chance this time around. At that I’d really like to take part. «
After Ebner returned to the NFL, the US men’s rugby sevens team finished second in the world in the 2018/19 season. It dropped to 7th last season, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Americans returned to the competition last month, walking 6-5 on two weekends in Madrid. Perry Baker, two-time World Player of the Year , suffered a serious leg injury in one of the games. USA Rugby declined to disclose the specific injury and has not said how long Baker is expected to be on sideline.
Just like 2016, Ebner has the support of his NFL club. Giants head coach Joe Judge was Ebner’s coordinator for special teams at the Patriots in 2016. At 32, Ebner is older than all the other players except for one player in the 2016 US Olympic team. The US men’s rugby sevens head coach remains Mike Friday, who was also at the top in Rio.
« [ 2016] it was extremely difficult to physically take six to eight weeks to get me to where I needed to be, « said Ebner, according to Giants.com. « At least this time around, I know what to expect physically because I’ve been through it. The last time I played [rugby] it was five years in competition. Hopefully this time I’ll be in a better place than five years ago Years, but I’m five years older. «
Ebner’s father Jeff played rugby at the University of Minnesota and coached Ebner’s high school team in Columbus, Ohio. At 17, Ebner was the youngest man to ever play for the national team of seven.
In November 2008, Ebner gave Jeff the idea of joining the Ohio state soccer team.
« He said: » I don’t want you to throw away all of those years and potential as a professional rugby player just so you can play soccer in the state of Ohio, « Ebner said on ESPN.com in 2016. He said, ‘If you have it you have to go all the way. If you want to go to the NFL, you have to be committed. ‘”
The next day, Jeff was beaten to death in an armed robbery at his own auto complaint shop. </ "It would have meant a lot to him to see and be a part of it," Ebner said before forming the Rio Olympic team, "I think he would be proud of what I'm doing and the light." this is broadcasting on rugby in the US. He loved playing rugby and I will do everything I can to give back to this sport that has given me so much. "
Ebner took a stand for everyone when he returned to the program, as shown in the Giants.com story re-released by USA Rugby.
» Even though I didn’t make it to the team helping to get to a place where it has to go to the Olympics in order to win a medal, that’s a big motivator, « he said. » There will come a time when I am physically unable to do any of this. When that day comes I won’t, but as long as I can I will. «
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Ref: https://olympics.nbcsports.com
