New England Patriots safety Nate Ebner could very well find himself in position to earn an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring within a couple years of one another.
The reserve defensive back was selected to participate in the upcoming Summer Olympics as a member of the U.S. rugby team.
Patriots safety @NateEbner34 has become only NFL player selected to qualify for Rio Olympics and represent @usarugby per agent @seanstellato
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 18, 2016
As Schefter pointed out, Ebner is the only NFL player to qualify for the Olympics this year. Though, former Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best will also participate for Saint Lucia.
Ebner, a sixth-round pick of the Patriots back in 2012, has appeared in 57 games in four seasons, accumulating 20 total tackles in the process. Primarily a special teams performer, his athleticism has been a boon to that unit in New England.
The former collegiate rugby star has been on leave from the Patriots since March in an attempt to make the Rio team. It now appears all that hard work has paid off.
When Ebner takes the field for the U.S. rugby team in Rio next month, he will be making history in another regard. This is the first time since 1924 that rugby itself has been an event in the Summer Olympics.