ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Travis Clayton's journey to the NFL has taken him from Basingstoke, U.K. to Buffalo, NY with a stop in Detroit in between.
“Look, it’s the NFL man. Buffalo came to me, Buffalo wanted me and I’m just ready to work," Clayton said.
Clayton’s move from southern England now to Western New York is just part of his incredible journey.
Clayton heard his name called in the 7th round of last week’s NFL Draft, with the Bills taking him 221st overall.
“I always had the dream of playing in the NFL, so for me to get my name called out was just the main goal, that was exactly what I wanted,” Clayton said.
It was a moment made more surreal by the fact Clayton has never before played in an American football game.
The 6’7”, 303-pound athlete has a background in rugby and boxing though, making him a perfect candidate for the NFL’s International Pathway Program.
A 2024 graduate of the program, and now NFL draftee, Clayton is ready to show off the skills in the adopted sport he loves.
“I love the physical side of things, being an offensive lineman, being able to take your anger out on people legally is great, and I can just use my strength and my abilities," Clayton said.
Those qualities make Clayton an intriguing offensive tackle prospect who the Bills are ready to bring to Buffalo.
“I’m excited to meet him and see him and watch him move man,” said Bills general manager Brandon Beane. “His film, on a workout, was pretty cool.”
And back across the pond, Clayton hopes his story can inspire other international athletes who want to play American football.
“I think it just shows there is talent out there all over the world, not just England/UK, and the NFL has grown massively… just basically shows that if you’ve done previous sports and you can bring those skills together, you can come play in the NFL. It’s possible.”