Will Holder and Thretton Palamo have joined the 7s setup at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
The All Americans, who actually played against each other in the 2011 College Premier Division (now DI-A) quarterfinals, are there under different circumstances. Both are capped in 15s (Palamo's also capped in 7s) and rugby fans have been waiting for them to get back on the Eagles' radar for some time.
Holder, 22, has apparently been accepted into the Army's World Class Athlete Program. It had been rumored for years that he might be, but he had some training to complete upon graduating from West Point in the spring.
Palamo, 25, had been focusing on football the last couple of years at the University of Utah - first as a running back and then as a defensive end. His football eligibility has run out, and he's still unsure of what the next several months have in store for him, other than graduating in May with a Sports Management degree.
“I grew up with rugby and rugby’s just always been fun for me,” Palamo said.
“But I hear from coaches that a few [pro football] teams are interested in me. I don’t know … I don’t really know what that means. So I’ve talked to my friend Nate Ebner about what I might do, I’m talking with my family, finishing up my last internship at school, and I’m just checking things out here [at the OTC] to see what’s right for me.”
So Holder is now the sixth WCAP member training at the OTC, and Palamo is dipping his toe in the Chula Vista water while still contemplating a run at an NFL career.