Travis Clayton Explained

Travis Clayton
Number:67
Position:Offensive tackle
Current Team:Buffalo Bills
Birth Date:17 February 2001
Birth Place:Basingstoke, England
Height Ft:6
Height In:7
Weight Lb:301
Draftyear:2024
Draftround:7
Draftpick:221
Pastteams:
Status:Active
Pfr:ClayTr00

Travis Clayton (born February 17, 2001)[1] is an English professional American football offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played rugby union in England and joined the NFL as part of the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), being selected by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Early life

Clayton grew up in Basingstoke, Hampshire, in England.[2] He played a number of sports growing up, including association football, rowing and boxing, before later focusing on rugby union.[3] [4] He played football as a member of the Fulham Academy and later had stints with Reading, Southampton and Chelsea. He later joined Basingstoke R.F.C., a team in the eighth tier of the English rugby union system.

American football career

Clayton had first tried out American football in 2019, spending time with the newly started NFL Academy in London, although he left the program soon after.[5] Four years later, he decided to give the sport another shot. He rejoined the academy and after success there, was chosen in January 2024 as one of 16 participants in the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), designed to give international players more opportunities to play in the league.[6] [7]

Clayton spent ten weeks learning the sport while training at IMG Academy.[8] He received praise for his pro day performance, measuring at 6feet and 301lb with a 7-foot (2.1 m) wingspan, while running the 40-yard dash in 4.81 seconds.[9] His 40-yard dash time was better than any offensive lineman at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was invited to tryout with several teams and received comparisons to Jordan Mailata, an Australian rugby league player who became a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles. Unlike other IPPP participants such as Louis Rees-Zammit, Clayton was eligible for the 2024 NFL draft due to being within four years of having graduated high school.[10] Although never having played in a game of American football before, he was chosen in the seventh round of the draft – 221st overall – by the Buffalo Bills, becoming the second-ever IPPP participant to be drafted after Mailata.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Travis Clayton NFL . 2024-06-09 . Spotrac.com . en.
  2. News: Gaughan, Mark . 27 April 2024 . Bills add English prospect Travis Clayton as developmental final pick . 27 May 2024 . . 29 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240529074840/https://buffalonews.com/sports/buffalo-bills-nfl-draft-travis-clayton-international-pathway-program/article_5a70a06a-04e4-11ef-a0ea-cb9f36cbaafb.html . live .
  3. Web site: 27 April 2024 . Bills' Travis Clayton: Jolly good selection by Buffalo . 27 May 2024 . . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428010258/https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/bills-travis-clayton-jolly-good-selection-by-buffalo/ . live .
  4. Web site: Spink, Alex . 26 April 2024 . The little-known British rugby union player tipped to follow Louis Rees-Zammit into the NFL . 27 May 2024 . . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428010301/https://www.planetrugby.com/news/the-little-known-british-rugby-union-player-tipped-to-follow-louis-rees-zammit-into-the-nfl . live .
  5. Web site: Kahler, Kalyn . 27 April 2024 . Could one of these international NFL Draft prospects be the next Jordan Mailata? . 27 May 2024 . . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428012507/https://theathletic.com/5450359/2024/04/27/bayron-matos-travis-clayton-nfl-draft-international-pathway-mailata/ . live .
  6. News: Rooks-Taylor, Matt . 21 January 2024 . NFL International Player Pathway: Travis Clayton selected . 27 May 2024 . . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428012502/https://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/24060012.nfl-international-player-pathway-travis-clayton-selected/ . live .
  7. Web site: Malchow, Alex . 28 January 2024 . 2024 NFL International Player Pathway spotlight: Travis Clayton, OL, England . 27 May 2024 . American Football International . 27 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240427215634/https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/2024-nfl-international-player-pathway-spotlight-travis-clayton-ol-england-nfl/ . live .
  8. Web site: 18 January 2024 . NFL announces International Pathway Program Class of 2024 . 27 May 2024 . . 4 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240404205959/https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-international-pathway-program-class-of-2024 . live .
  9. News: O'Sullivan, Brendan . 27 April 2024 . What is the International Player Pathway? England's Travis Clayton becomes second NFL Draft pick ever from overseas program . 27 May 2024 . . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428013037/https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/international-player-pathway-travis-clayton-nfl-draft/72ae15dd0610bbf9ad68a66e . live .
  10. Web site: Smith, Michael David . 27 April 2024 . Bills draft Travis Clayton, rugby player who has never played football . 27 May 2024 . . . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428013541/https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/bills-draft-travis-clayton-rugby-player-who-has-never-played-football . live .

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