(Reuters) – New York Giants safety Nate Ebner is keen to win a spot on the U.S. rugby sevens team for the Tokyo Olympics after failing to get on the podium with the squad in Rio.
Ebner, who won the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2015, 2017 and 2019 before joining the Giants last year, said failing to advance from the group stage in 2016 was something that still bothered him.
“Not winning a medal, especially when I thought that we had the team to do it, and as I look at the growth in the last five years, we definitely have an even better chance this time around,” he added.
“It’s something I would really like to be a part of.”
Ebner will join a group of around 30 players trying out for the 12 spots on the U.S. team coached by Mike Friday.
The 32-year-old hopes to return to the Giants once his Olympic stint comes to an end.
“Obviously, you have to assess where you’re at,” he said. “But you would hope within a week of competition I’m back and I’m in shoulder pads and a helmet and I’m out there trying to get us ready to win some football games.”
(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
