Up until November last year Laekin Vakalahi had no idea what American Football was. Fast forward to May this year, and he's signed with the Philadelphia Eagles NFL side as an undrafted free agent.
The Auckland-born 21-year-old has spent most of his life in Australia but is a Kiwi citizen and has a New Zealand passport.
"I have lived my whole life in Australia, I don't take any offence – I claim it if people call me Kiwi," Vakalahi told 1News.
In 2022, he moved to Wellington and spent two years serving a mission for his church. Having played basketball and rugby as a kid, he put his sporting aspirations aside to complete his mission.
His American football career took off under the most unlikely of circumstances.
His dad Frank Vakalahi was on holiday in Hawaii when he bumped into someone who was friends with the Eagles international scout.
"They were at a University of Hawaii football game and bumped into a guy called Bill Carey. He made some calls to the Philadelphia Eagles scout just to see if there were any pathways me and my brothers could take," Vakalahi said.
While Carey was initially interested in Vakalahi's father, due to his physique, Frank wasn't too keen.
"They said, 'Hey man, you should play football. Look at you'. My Dad said, 'Nah, but I have some boys who like rugby though'," Vakalahi recalled.
Philadelphia Eagles scout Chris Naeole flew to Wellington to train with the prospective offensive lineman, who stands at over 1.95m tall and weighs nearly 150 kilograms. After making a strong impression, Vakalahi's now headed to Philadelphia to complete a six-week training camp to prove to the NFL side he may have a future in the sport.
"I'm just really grateful for them. They are taking such a big chance on me," he said. "I don't know anything, really, about football. They are taking a big shot on me just because they see potential in me.
"Just the opportunity to play professional football even though I've never played football in my life, it's a big thanks to the organisation."
The Eagles have a footprint down under, being one of the very few teams with scouts on this side of the world.
Being an international player, Vakalahi signed under the NFL's international player exemption.
SHARE ME