The Detroit Lions have assembled one of the NFL’s top rosters in recent years through multiple avenues, and the team expanded on that approach Sunday, April 27. Samoan-born Australian rugby standout Laki Tasi has joined the Lions organization through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.

This is the same program that helped the Philadelphia Eagles land left tackle Jordan Mailata, a second-team All-Pro and 2024 Super Bowl champion who recently signed a three-year, $66 million contract.

Tasi recently spoke with ESPN Australia & NZ, where he revealed he had no knowledge of American football until a local burger shop owner he knew encouraged him to give it a shot.

“One of the guys who owns a burger shop back home was telling me about the NFL IPP that Jordan Mailata joined,” Tasi said. “It was pretty surprising because I didn’t know who Jordan Mailata was or what the NFL even is. Once I looked up Jordan Mailata and the NFL IPP on YouTube, I realized how massive it was.”

Tasi, 21, will begin his NFL journey with the Lions as a defensive lineman. He measures 6-foot-6 and weighs 348 pounds. “Tasi has impressive size and the traits to develop into a dominant interior defensive lineman, along with the toughness and mentality needed to thrive inside,” Scott Pioli of NFL.com wrote in March. ”

He offers a rare and exciting mix of developmental potential, size, and mindset.” Detroit didn’t draft Tasi but instead picked him up as an undrafted free agent. Former Pro Football Focus analyst and NFL podcaster Sam Monson commented on the signing Sunday on his X account.

“Some people just have freaky genes. The Lions are bringing in this guy from the IPP,” Monson wrote. “A few months ago, he didn’t even know what the NFL was. Now he’s about to play in it!”