American rugby union player
Rugby player
Malacchi Esdale
Date of birth (1995-05-04 ) May 4, 1995 (age 29) Place of birth Newark, Delaware , U.S.Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) Weight 190 lb (86 kg)
Malacchi Esdale ( EZ -dayl ; born May 4, 1995)[ 1] is an American rugby union player for the United States men's national rugby sevens team . He was selected as part of the U.S. squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics .
Esdale was born on May 4, 1995, in Newark, Delaware .[ 1] He attended middle school in the area before moving to Naples, Florida , for high school, with the goal of playing professional American football .[ 2] [ 3] He attended Naples High School , initially playing quarterback before switching to wide receiver ; he totaled 17 receptions for 239 yards and three touchdowns as a junior .[ 4] He also tried out rugby union at Naples, briefly playing for the Naples Bears before transferring to Appoquinimink High School in Delaware for his senior year.[ 4]
Esdale played football at ASA College in New York and then transferred to play for the Miami Hurricanes , but was unable to make the team.[ 3] He then transferred to the University of Central Florida (UCF)[when? ] as a student and quit playing football.[ 4]
Rugby union career
While at UCF, Esdale joined the school's club rugby team.[ 4] He later joined the amateur Orlando Griffins.[ 4] In 2017, he was selected to play for the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR), which began in 2018.[ 4] A wing , he played three years for the SaberCats from 2018 to 2020, appearing in 28 games while scoring 25 points.[ 5]
Esdale was named an alternate for the United States men's national rugby sevens team at the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021), but ultimately did not play.[ 2] [ 4] He made his debut at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2021 against Canada.[ 6] He was a part of the U.S. team at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2022.[ 7] He was selected for the U.S. squad at the 2024 Summer Olympics .[ 2] In The News Journal prior to the games, he described the conditioning necessary[clarification needed ] for Olympic rugby sevens as "borderline crazy".[ 2]
References
External links