Christian Wade signs for Buffalo Bills after leaving Wasps to chase NFL dream

Christian Wade has said he is “lost for words” after taking a step towards his dream of playing in the NFL by signing for the Buffalo Bills.

Former England rugby union international Wade unexpectedly left Wasps in October to join the NFL’s International Pathway Program, which offers a route into the sport for players from outside the US.

The 27-year-old, who has one England cap and was called up to the Lions squad that toured Australia in 2013, was expected to be included in the NFLdraft later this month but has instead been signed by the Bills, who finished with a 6-10 record in the AFC East last season.

“With the recent news, I’m completely lost for words,” Wade said. “Every week that has gone by has exceeded my expectations. I didn’t really know what to expect from the process and have tried to stay open to all possibilities. I’ve tried to take every moment as it comes and hit it hard.”

Wade, who has been identified as a potential running back by Buffalo after scoring 82 Premiership tries for Wasps, added: “I’m speechless. I’ve put a post on Instagram but couldn’t come up with a caption for it. I’ve had a lot of messages from close friends and family but I’m still trying to get my head around it.

“For me this is another step closer to my dream and what I set out to achieve from the start. It’s making me emotional thinking about the risk I took and the magnitude of the move. This has made that even more apparent. Every time I think about it, I start to well up.”

The Bills will get a roster exemption from the NFL for Wade, meaning he could be included in addition to their standard 90-player roster. It is likely he will be placed in the practice squad initially, but he will get a chance to impress at the team’s upcoming training camp.

Wade, the third-highest try scorer in Premiership history, follows in the footsteps of former Worcester forward Christian Scotland-Williamson, who was allocated to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 before being signed first to the team’s practice squad, and then on a reserves contract.

In an interview with the Guardian this January, Wade explained the reasons for his decision to walk away from rugby union. “I’ve always loved rugby. I’ve played it for 15 years, I’ve travelled the world … But I wasn’t loving it any more, really,” he said. “It was becoming harder to motivate myself and I wanted to compete against the best athletes in the world.”

“In a year’s time I hope to be playing NFL,” he added. “I’m still learning, still trying to get better, just pushing for the best. Whatever team I’m at, [I’ll be] trying to make it, trying to soak up information and experience.”

(THE GUARDIAN)