Martin Johnson is part of a small group of rugby players who have tried American football.
So who are the chosen few? Here are five players who made the switch from Rugby Union to American Football at some point in their career.
1. Martin Johnson
The 2003 World Cup winning-captain briefly played American football for the Leicester Panthers as a tight end or defensive end in the early 1990's. He admitted after retiring that he regretted not trying to play in the NFL.
2. Gavin Hastings
He was Scotland’s granite-hard talisman for a decade, not only as the last line of defence but as a place kicker of unerring accuracy who often proved the difference between sides.
In 1996, Hasting joined the Scottish Claymores an American Football team in the NFL Europe. He played a single season as a placekicker, scoring 24 of 27 conversions but missed his only attempt at a field goal.
3. Alex Gray
Following stints at Newcastle, London Irish, Yorkshire Carnegie and three years on the Sevens circuit with England, in 2017 Gray took the decision to pursue a career in the NFL. After three-years with the Atlanta Falcons, he recently made the move back to rugby union with Bath.
4. Christian Wade
The speedster is currently a running back for the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played rugby union for Wasps, and won one cap for England, as a wing.
5. Jarryd Hayne
Hayne attracted significant attention when he made the switch from one of the NRL's top players to a rookie in the 2015 NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers. Before returning to the NRL, Hayne also represented Fiji in rugby union sevens.
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