Skipping school to watch the Super Bowl might pay off for Jordan Petaia, who has quit rugby to scratch his NFL itch.
As revealed by AAP in September, two-time World Cup Wallaby Petaia has walked away from his Queensland Reds contract to try his luck in the United States.
On Tuesday the 24-year-old was confirmed as the first attendee of January's exclusive, 10-week NFL International Player Pathway (IPP) development camp in Florida.
That program will culminate in March with Petaia in the shop window when scouts from all 32 NFL clubs attend the University of South Florida’s Pro Day.
Petaia burst onto the scene with a historic Wallabies debut at just 19 at the 2019 World Cup and played in the centres at the 2023 showpiece.
But his career has been hampered by a variety of injuries and he has been unable to settle on a preferred position after being tried in the centres, on the wing and at fullback.
Armed with a unique combination of speed, power, agility and coordination, Petaia isn't keen to pigeonhole himself and could play offensive, defensive or special teams roles.
A long-time NFL fan, Petaia knocked back lucrative European rugby and NRL offers and will instead give up pay for at least five months - and the chance to face the visiting British and Irish Lions next year - to pursue his American dream.
"My dad used to let us stay home from school for Super Bowl ... that's why NFL is in my head," Petaia, who is already training at Gold Coast's NFL Academy, said.
"I was a big fan of watching the big collisions ... in a big Samoan household we loved watching (former Pittsburgh Steelers safety) Troy Polamalu put on the big hits.
"I'm a fan of the whole game, really.
"In union people say there's a lot of rules but there's probably triple in the NFL.
"The playbook's quite large and Madden (video game) can only get you so far. I'm enjoying all the little, different skills."
It's the same program that kick-started Jordan Mailata's NFL career with Philadelphia, the Sydney giant one of just six internationals to crack an active roster since the program began in 2017.
The 24-year-old IPP cut-off means this is Petaia's last chance to join that exclusive group.
Last year former Gold Coast VFL talent Patrick Murtagh, a schoolboy decathlon champion, went from the IPP to the Detroit Lions before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But the tight end was waived in August after breaking his ankle in training and never played a game.
Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne famously cracked the San Francisco 49ers' active squad as a running back, making eight appearances in 2015.
That was before the advent of the IPP, which was designed to streamline the inclusion of foreign talent and not interfere with the traditional draft system.
NRL flyer Valentine Holmes joined the New York Jets' practice squad from the IPP in 2019 but aborted after a pre-season of limited opportunities.
But Petaia could benefit from a new rule introduced last season that allows clubs to carry an IPP graduate outside their active roster, who can play up to three games in a season.
There are currently 23 IPP products on NFL rosters, including Welsh rugby winger Louis Rees-Zammit, who is on Jacksonville's training squad after being among the last cut by the Kansas City Chiefs.
He has the blessing of Queensland Rugby Union, where he has spent the past seven seasons and will likely return ahead of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season if the NFL experiment peters out later this year.
