Thomas Yassmin, a 196 cm code convert who was born in Sydney, was a gridiron sensation who had a big impact on today’s Rose Bowl game. He scored Utah’s first touchdown, furthering his reputation as one of the best players in American football.
Yassmin gave up his dream of playing rugby league when he was 17 to pursue fame and fortune in the NFL in 2018.
The 22-year-old caught a pass in the corner of the end zone to touch down early in the 109th annual showdown, which is the biggest college football game of the year. This marked a significant step toward the realization of his dream.
Utah was tied for the first two quarters thanks to Yassmin’s score, but Penn State won the game 35-21. However, Yassmin still emerged victorious from his four-year American football journey, which has placed him on the verge of becoming a star in the NFL.
The 113-pounder from Sydney made a name for himself playing rugby union at Scots College, a private school. He was being recruited by the NSW Waratahs, the Brisbane Broncos, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, and NRL clubs when a coach from the University of Hawaii saw him run the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds.
When Yassmin signed a scholarship to the Utah Utes at age 18, he had never played football. The story of how the school rugby and basketball star couldn’t even figure out how to put on his pads for practice was shared with glee by the ESPN broadcast of today’s Rose Bowl.
Yassmin, on the other hand, grew quickly. He quickly developed into a significant component of the Utah offensive attack thanks to his quick hands, physical toughness, and speed. At the same time, he slowly but surely honed the essential skills of memorizing the extensive playbook of the NFL and learning how to block. Yassmin finally established herself as a reliable member of the Utah offense in 2022 by participating in 12 games, starting five of them, and catching 12 passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns.
Yassmin described his journey to the Utes fan website, “I knew it was going to be a long road.
” I won’t lie: I didn’t think it would take as long, but the fact that I finally have the chance to show what I can do just makes it that much better.
This year, Yassmin got his big break when two players ahead of him on the tight end depth chart got hurt.
This made it possible for the young Australian to play a lot. He performed admirably, scoring five touchdowns in a dominant performance against rival Arizona State and moving up to fifth place on the team in receiving yards.
Yassmin joins fellow Australians Jordan Mailata and Daniel Faalele as former rugby stars who pursued a dream in a sport they had no prior experience with to become NFL pros. Before the crucial game against Penn State, which is referred to as “the granddaddy of them all” in the United States, Utah quarterback Cam Rising lavished Yassmin with praise.
Yassmin is now thinking about more than just the school’s business and math department, where he excels outside of the classroom.
Yassmin had stated to FoxSports, “This was more than just a gateway for a good education.” However, the more I talk to coaches and others who have gone through similar situations, the more convinced I am that if I want to play college football, I should give the NFL a shot.
Rising praised his teammate, stating, “He’s as big as you want a tight end to be and he’s fast as a receiver.” He does an excellent job despite his rugby background. So that he can run and handle the rest, you want to get the ball in his hands as quickly as possible.
As a reward for his solo journey through the United States, the Utes even flew in Yassmin’s brother Patrick for support—the second time in four years they have been together.
He stated to KSL.com, “It’s been unreal.” The guys on the team will tell you that there have been times when I’ve been put through my paces, and that it has been difficult to be away from home and family. it’s genuinely and intellectually testing, yet in saying that it’s presumably the best experience I’ve at any point had.