The monster search to find Australia’s next American football star
By Billie Eder
Jesse “ThaMonstar” Williams became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring – with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014.
Now retired from professional football, Williams is part of a team to find Australia’s next generation of American football players, scouting talent to send athletes to US high schools and colleges on scholarships.
Former Alabama NFL star Jesse Williams, during the talent identification at Newington College as Gridiron Australia is looking for talented kids in Australia to go over and play American football for colleges in the US.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
“This is an amazing opportunity ... There was nothing like this when I played, there was nothing at all, to be honest,” Williams said to a group of about 60 boys at try-outs on Monday.
“The opportunity to change your life is right here ... sometimes your life comes down to one moment. Today, that moment might be for some of you guys. So, now all it takes is to have a little bit of effort, listen and work hard.”
Gridiron Australia is running the program, called The Search, for the first time this year.
Some US schools have already expressed interest in players from the program’s first days in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and western Sydney, and a handful of boys will head to the US in the coming weeks for the start of the American academic year in August.
Those exceptions aside, The Search team are looking for the top 10 athletes in each city to bring through a development program. At the end of the year, the best 10 of that larger group will be selected for a tour of the US.
Wade Kelly, chief executive of Gridiron Australia, said the program wasn’t just about finding football stars – he wants the players to be just as eager for the opportunity of a funded college education.
“This is a legitimate pathway for these guys to go to the States and get a college education,” Kelly said. “There’s a huge thirst for Pacific talent, Australian talent and Oceania talent in the NFL and college system.”
There’s no such thing as the ideal candidate, said Kelly. A typical American football team has a 53-player roster, meaning there are positions to suit most people regardless of height and size.
Cayden Close hopes to get a scholarship to play American football in the United States. Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
For Cayden Close, an 18-year-old from Coffs Harbour who’s in the Sydney Roosters’ junior rugby league system, the prospect of playing in the US is exciting.
“In Australia, league is just the bread and butter, and AFL is big as well, but it’s awesome that Gridiron Australia has conducted the search because not many people know that this is a genuine pathway,” Close said.
Close said being in the Roosters pathways system gave him a leg up with his technical and physical skills.
“It’s helped me be a bit more equipped. The training and conditioning and the professionalism that they have at a club like the Roosters has really helped me to bring a good aura to this training.”
Jesse Williams during his time at Alabama College.Credit: AP
Gridiron Australia only has about 4000 members, but interest in the sport has grown since former rugby league player Jordan Mailata went to this year’s Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.
With streaming services and apps like TikTok and Instagram, Kelly said American football and the NFL have become even more visible in Australia.
Kelly predicted next year that applications for The Search would at least double as more talented young athletes heard about the program.
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