For the moment, Nate Ebner has traded in touchdowns for tries, and it appears to be going quite well for the Patriots special teams wiz.
On Wednesday, he took the field for Samurai in the Hong Kong 10s tournament and helped his team upset the top-seeded BGC Asia Pacific Dragons.
At one point, Ebner took a handoff from one of his teammates and seemed to hit another gear as he broke away from his opponents. The 6-foot, 220-pounder's burst was strong enough that when a camera tried to catch him in a more tightly-framed shot, he was already out of sight. It wasn't long before he scored what the broadcast crew deemed "a sensational try."
Ebner's team fell to a club called Penguins in the final on Thursday, 5-0, but he also received some good news. USA Rugby Sevens announced that Ebner had been promoted to the club for the the Hong Kong leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series this weekend.
Ebner is still in the process of vying for a spot on the US Olympic roster, but it seems as though he's already impressing those who matter.
Should he make the Olympic team, Ebner will re-join the Patriots in August after the Olympic rugby competition in Rio, which is scheduled for Aug. 6-11.
New England Patriots
Ebner, one of Patriots coach Bill Belichick's top special-teamers, re-signed with New England this offseason after the expiration of his rookie deal. His new contract will keep him with the team through 2017.