Isles Signs with Lions Practice Squad

USA 7s team star Carlin Isles has signed with the Detroit Lions on their practice squad, according to the team and the NFL.

This signing came after the Eagles' leading try-scorer worked out with the team on Monday.

"Indianapolis has a rugby guy as a pass rusher (Daniel Adongo) and I know San Fran brought a guy in (Lawrence Okoye) that was a shot-putter or a discus guy," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Wednesday. "I mean, you're looking for athletes. It hasn't been unusual to see basketball players transition to the NFL. That's not just recently, that goes way back. Even track guys like Bob Hayes and Renaldo Nehemiah, things like that. An athlete's an athlete. There are skills that you can develop, and if you see something you like then you can work with him."

Several other rugby players are in the NFL, including Haloti Ngata with the Baltimore Ravens and Nate Ebner with the New England Patriots. But those were players who grew up in rugby, while Isles was a sprinter with a little football background who took up rugby in June of 2012.

Despite his obvious ability to score tries, Isles rarely got a starting spot on the USA team, and that was usually put down to his general rugby knowledge (developing) and defense (good in cover, but not face-to-face). Still, offensively he was just plain faster than anyone else on the field.

Isles had been linked with a French club last summer, but it was Isles who nixed that deal after he felt the club was unresponsive, leading the player to worry whether it was going to all fall through. Now he is on the practice squad for an NFL team. Whether that gives him the ability to continue playing rugby remains to be seen.