- College gridiron star gets shot in the NRL
- He impressed at the NRL Combine in Las Vegas earlier this year.
- He will be the first male athlete to sign through the combine.
The Sydney Roosters have made history by signing Michael Woolridge, who became the first male athlete to be selected at the NRL Combine in Las Vegas.
Woolridge, a former Saginaw Valley State University defensive back, will soon fly to Australia to pursue an NRL career after performing well at the first combine, held ahead of this year's NRL round one matches.
Woolridge has signed a full-time, salary-cap-free contract until the end of the Roosters' pre-season training over Christmas and could stay and make a surprise NRL debut if he impresses.
He impressed in Las Vegas by running the 20-meter dash in 2.7 seconds, bench pressing 125 kilograms three times and clocking a 4:50 time at the Bronco Test.
Former Saginaw Valley State defensive back Michael Woolridge has signed with the Sydney Roosters.
Woolridge took part in the first-ever NRL Combine in the United States as part of the first round of matches in Las Vegas.
Woolridge appeared in all 11 games for the Cardinals in 2021, recording 66 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. He was an All-GLIAC honorable mention.
“I'm really grateful for the opportunity to test myself in the NRL and particularly with the Sydney Roosters,” Woolridge said.
“I didn't come from the other side of the world not to compete at the highest level and I plan to do everything in my power to prove myself to my teammates, coaches and fans.”
Woolridge also noted that the Roosters have a special connection to their hometown of Detroit, with Sydney chairman Nick Politis having deep ties to Ford's history in Australia.
Woolridge is excited about the Fords' connection with Sydney City Ford founder and Roosters coach Nick Politis.
Mr Politis began his career with WFM Motors, taking on the management role and expanding the business in 1974. The company was later renamed City Ford and Mr Politis expanded it into one of the largest Ford dealerships in Australia.
He made history by making City Ford the NRL's first jersey sponsor.
The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
“Detroit is the birthplace of Ford and Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis has played a big role in Ford's history in Australia so I understand there is a connection between the Roosters and me,” Woolridge said.
“I'm very proud to be a Detroit native and look forward to representing the city and country with the Roosters.”
The Roosters are hoping to develop the former American footballer into a strong attacking winger.
The Roosters were able to sign Woolwich with no impact on the salary cap.
Roosters CEO Joe Kelly said the club was looking to develop Woolwich into an attacking weapon for the wing.
“After looking at his college football highlights and combine stats, there's no doubt that Michael is a tremendous athlete with great speed and agility,” he said.
“We believe he can transition to the wing position in rugby league.”
The Roosters see the United States as a potential market for future rugby league players and recently added Utah converted rugby player Liz Tahuna to their NRLW roster.
The NRL sees the US as an untapped source of talented footballers who may miss out on NFL contracts.
“The United States is home to some of the world's best athletes so it will be exciting for fans to see the first male player join an NRL club direct from the NRL Combine in Las Vegas,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said.
“Part of the NRL's long-term strategy in the US is to target talented individuals with the explosive power, speed and skill to succeed in one of the world's premier professional sporting competitions.”
“We're confident Americans will fall in love with rugby league and we expect to see more Americans putting on NRL jerseys in the coming years.”
