Clayton played several sports growing up and, in 2019, he attended a trial for the NFL Academy – which was launched that year in the UK.
The programme gives teenagers from Europe and Africa full-time coaching and an education, with a view to them earning college scholarships in the US.
Clayton only spent a brief period with the academy, not realising the opportunity it offered him, so when his second chance came along he was determined to take full advantage.
He attended a trial for the NFL’s International Player Pathway, launched in 2017, and along with Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit, was among the 16 athletes selected for the 2024 programme.
In January they flew to the US for a 10-week training camp, and Clayton was earmarked as an offensive lineman, a player whose main job is to block opponents and protect their own quarterback, rather than running with the ball.
“I remember the first session in Florida,” he said. “It was all about getting your body in awkward positions that I haven’t been in before.
“In rugby, a lot of the time you’re on your toes. As an offensive lineman, you’re more flat-footed, so it was about adjusting to the different angles of your hips and your legs.”
Clayton was adjusting well, as he demonstrated in March at his Pro Day, when college players are assessed by NFL scouts before the draft in April.
Clayton’s playing position was determined by his size. He is 6ft 7in and weighs 301lbs (137 kg). Yet it was his speed that made teams sit up and take notice.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.79secs. It was the fastest time recorded by an offensive lineman in 10 years.
“That’s quite rare, for a 300lb man,” he said. “That’s when I thought some teams might be interested.”
