CODE SWITCH
I played for my country and switched sports to try an NFL career – it was the toughest thing I’ve ever done
Christian Wade quit rugby in his prime to chase an NFL career and made an immediate impact with the Buffalo Bills
CHRISTIAN Wade dreamed of a career in American sports after watching the Space Jam movie as a kid.
And he had his wife playing quarterback in the living room as he worked tirelessly to be an NFL star.
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Wade, 33, shocked the world of rugby when he retired from the sport in his prime six years ago.
He moved to the US and landed a spot on the Buffalo Bills practice squad - where he made an instant impact.
"After a long journey, I was able to get on the field," Wade said, speaking in London at a 'Ticket to Tailgate' event held by Viagogo.
"My number was called and I was able to score a touchdown with my first touch."
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Wade exploded for a 65-yard touchdown run in a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts in August 2019.
He played on the wing in rugby but then tried to forge a career as a running back in the NFL.
Wade worked his way up to play for England and was also part of a British and Irish Lions tour.
He rejected a chance to join the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015 to focus on trying to play for his country in a home Rugby World Cup.
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Wade was overlooked for selection by England, and being offered a chance to join Jacksonville pushed him towards chasing his American dream.
But the mental aspect of playing in the NFL was unlike anything he'd experienced before.
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"I was playing rugby, but I was fascinated by the way Americans train and their work ethic," he said.
"It was something that was in my heart for a long time.
"It's one thing to be able to run fast, but the amount of information you have to take in, that's the bit that can slow you down.
"That's the challenge I faced, just trying to understand the playbook to be able to play at the speed I want to play at.
"Mentally is really the biggest part of me that grew and it wasn't necessarily something I was ready for.
London calling
The New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings will kick off the NFL's annual run of London fixtures this weekend.
New York and Minnesota will clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday October 6 at 2.30pm local time - 9.30am ET for fans back home in America.
It will be the first of three straight NFL Sundays that begin with an early game live from London.
The following week, Tottenham also plays host to the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Chicago Bears.
And on October 20, the Jags will head across town to Wembley Stadium to take on the New England Patriots.
"The amount of video you watch, the amount of meetings, the amount of detail we go into is crazy.
"In preseason, we've got 100 guys competing for roster spots and not everybody is going to get a chance to run the plays.
"I knew a lot of the time I would have to be ready to take reps without having run it before."
Wade's run in the NFL came to an end in 2022 when he was released by the Bills.
"Things were going really well in Buffalo," he recalled
"But ultimately I got injured during preseason and was out for the season- that's when I was released.
"I had two years left on my contract and was looking forward to try and push on because it took me two or three years to get to a stage where I was feeling comfortable."
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He returned to rugby with Racing 92 in France and now plays for Gloucester.
The 33-year-old now has his eyes on Premiership glory and climbing up the league's all-time try-scoring list.
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