I was a professional rugby player who went viral for brutal tackle, went to the NFL and I’m now a qualified barrister
A viral video in 2017 altered the course of Christian Scotland-Williamson’s life.
Then a professional rugby player with Worcester Warriors, the 6ft 9in second row saw millions of people watch his brutal tackle on an opponent.
This caught the attention of the NFL, who saw his size and athleticism as perfect for their game.
Frustrated at the lack of opportunities within rugby, he packed his bags and headed stateside to try and learn a new sport.
Scotland-Williamson was given a chance on the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, which was in just its second year at that stage.
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Scotland-Williamson told talkSPORT: “I got out of my contract with Worcester just before Christmas. I told them I wanted to leave and seek more of an opportunity.
“I was 23 or 24 at the time, really about to enter the prime of my career, so it was a big decision to leave. I wanted to play for England and wanted international honours. I knew I was more than capable, but it just came down to opportunity.
“That frustration was part of the reason why I was willing to jump at leaving. I saw America and American Football as more of a meritocracy and with my physical traits I’d be more valued than in rugby.â€
His brother had played basketball at the University of Alabama, so he knew what he was in for when heading over stateside.
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The IMG Academy was his next stop to get a crash course in the game and there he met, and became lifelong friends, with Jordan Mailata - the current Philadelphia Eagles star.
Mailata was a rugby league player from Australia who, like Scotland-Williamson, attracted plenty of online attention because of videos of him dominating his rivals.
While Mailata was able to enter the draft, and was selected in the seventh round, Scotland-Williamson was allocated to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I’ve never done anything so difficult as learning it at that level,†he said. I’ve qualified as a barrister and that was easier than learning American Football, which is quite a strange thing to say to people. Try learning a playbook when you’ve never played before, especially at tight end.â€
The usual path for NFL players is High School, College and then getting drafted into the league.
Scotland-Williamson had to make up for lost time and had to prove many doubters wrong along the way.
“You walk in the building with an English accent, can’t put one foot in front of the other in terms of the football field and have no idea what you’re doing. People are like ‘who the hell is this guy, why is he here’.
“Every single day you have to prove people wrong. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with that.
“I was always first in and last out. I met with my position coach every day off at 5pm. At first, I was like ‘no one else has to do this’. Another tight end was meant to go because he kept making mental errors on the field and a couple of times he wouldn’t turn up.
“I didn’t have that luxury. Every opportunity to learn I took. More than that, I thought that if I have a system error then that’s unacceptable. That’s effort and learning the playbook.â€
One of the inspiring aspects of joining the Steelers for Scotland-Williamson was head coach Mike Tomlin.
Seeing the leadership from a black coach was something Scotland-Williamson did not have in rugby.
“Part of the reason I wanted to leave rugby is because my face didn’t fit,†he said.
“I was a huge fan of Coach Tomlin before I’d even met him. To be led by him, be in his locker room and experience his leadership during things like George Floyd, Covid, and adversity with a 1-4 start. Just to see that leadership, which I didn’t really have in rugby, especially as a black person, was huge.â€
Ultimately, Scotland-Williamson never made the active roster with the Steelers, but came mightily close.
“Coach Tomlin in my second year said I’d given myself a legitimate shot at making the team, but unfortunately I tore my hamstring.
“They basically all-but started me in the first pre-season game and I tore my hamstring in the first play.
“I raced back early and played the final pre-season game. At that point you just have to sit for the rest of the year and use it to prove yourself.
“Then in that third year, Covid happened, I had nerve damage and it hit its peak and the day before training camp I was medically waived. I ended up having six surgeries and it’s still there.
“I was really close.â€
Scotland-Williamson returned to the UK and knew his professional sports career was over. That’s when he decided to continue his education and undertook a law conversion course with dreams of becoming a barrister.
Often education and sport does not go hand-in-hand, with people actively trying to stop him studying while in England.
“There were times in my rugby career when people actively stood in my way from pursuing higher education and from me getting my masters. That’s while I was with a professional team as well.â€
He continued: “I flew home from America in November 2020 and mentally was in a pretty bad way, especially with how things ended and how much work I’d put in. My dad was on a ventilator from Covid while I was out there and I was in constant nerve pain, which is the worst pain I can describe.
“I had a surgery out there that went wrong as the surgery was done in the wrong place. I flew back and couldn’t walk 600m for almost a year and was suffering from depression.
“I started my law conversion in January just to have something from the experience as I knew I’d have long periods of not being able to walk or leave the house.
“I had two more surgeries, did the law conversion and then had that rehab process, that mental rehab process.
“When I was lean in America, I was 118kg to 120kg and then because I couldn’t walk, and was comfort eating, I ballooned to 143kgs. I was in the worst physical state I’d been in. I’m down to 123kgs now, but it’s been a three-year process getting my body back together.
“I always knew I wanted to be a barrister. I wrote it down when I was 10 years old in my primary school year book. It’s always been my goal and I’ve been very fortunate to play two sports professionally at the highest level.â€
Scotland-Williamson passed the bar exam in July and is now working on securing pupilage as a barrister.
While he does that, he will be involved in talkSPORT’s NFL coverage during the London games.
He is also on the RFU’s Diversity and Inclusion panel, hoping to prevent some of the experiences he had for future players.
“When I was called to the bar in July, it was the proudest day of my life. More so than anything I’d done on the pitch because of everything that had gone in from my family and me.
“The three pieces of paper I have hanging on the wall, the jerseys and the memories, no one can take that away from me.
“My message whenever I speak to guys who want to be athletes is to be realistic. I’ve had nine major surgeries, had an eight and a half year career and have just turned 30.
“For most people once you stop playing there is no money coming in. The transition out of sport takes three to five years to get back on your feet and figure out what you want to do.
“My message is do it early, do it well, and maximise every opportunity.
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“Now, I’ve pretty much transitioned out of sport in 18 months. The window of time you’re an athlete is such a small part of your life.â€
On Sunday, talkSPORT 2 will bring you extensive coverage of the Atlanta Falcons vs the Jacksonville Jaguars from Wembley, followed by 11 straight hours of gridiron action live from 6pm.