KEY CHARACTERS

Son of former NBA superstar Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, the 1994 No.1 overall NBA draft pick, who starred for the Milwaukee Bucks, and brother to Glenn Robinson III, a professional player for the NBA’s Kings & Sixers, Gelen is committed to creating a name for himself in rugby. A standout footballer and wrestler at Purdue University, Gelen earned BIG10 honorable mention at defensive end. He’s a freak athlete who has the size, speed, power and agility that is perfect for a rugby tight forward. A family man and father, our cameras visited with his family in Indy during the bye weekend within episode five, where we met his mom, brother, girlfriend, daughter, plus their friends and family. Gelen is signed for Season 2.

A former NFL player for the Seahawks, Falcons, & Cardinals, Tani was signed first by the Seahawks after playing for the University of Washington Huskies in the Pac12. Tani worked manual labor jobs including lugging boxes in the Amazon warehouse, hand-digging trenches with a shovel, and other odd jobs that gave him a full appreciation of how special it is to be a professional athlete and be paid to play sports for a living. He’s the most experienced professional athlete in the group, having played for three NFL teams, and when the program needed to tap a new XO Captain to replace Michael Bandy (departing to NFL Chargers), the coaching staff chose Tani to be the skipper for the rest of the Season 1. The Hawaiian-Tongan family man with roots down in the Seattle area, Tani is signed for Season 2.

Born in the Virginia Beach Jail to incarcerated parents, his grandmother picked-up “little” Ricky up from the prison infirmary when he was two days old. Raised by his grandparents, Ricky’s grandfather, “Big Ricky Sr.” was his main role model growing up. During his senior year of high school, Ricky was charged with a very serious felony after being arrested for driving a car involved in a drive-by shooting. He maintained his innocence during the case, and on the day set for the trial, the prosecutor dismissed all charges against him (while the shooter received ten years of prison time). The ever-popular Ricky was voted Maury High School Prom King and graduated from high school with honors and accepted a full-ride football scholarship to play at Alabama State University. Ricky is signed for Season 2.

Chase Stehling is a graduate of Western Carolina University, the former 340-pound offensive lineman was out of professional sports for almost three years after college. Chase is thrilled to crossover to rugby now to continue to be part of a brotherhood of men working as a team toward a common great purpose, e.g. for the United States to win the Rugby World Cup!  In episode five, and again in eight, we meet his father Albert Stehling, who’s a larger-than-life character in his own right, unafraid to speak his mind, and who gave the referee an earful of banter during the Clemson match, plus a heartwarming reaction to Chase being re-signed for the Fall season in episode eight. Chase’s wife smoked the BBQ for 13 hours after the win over Clemson. Chase is signed for Season 2.

Shawn Clark is a lightning-fast 245lb, 6'9" former tight end for Monmouth University's football team. Shawn was named to the first-team All-Big South, having led all-conference tight ends with 18 receptions for 254 yards and 4 touchdowns. Clark was also named an Eastern Conference Athletic Conference First Team Selection. Clark's unique combination of height, size, speed, core strength, and footwork project him into the USA National Team as a lock. Clark is a force in the lineout and very active in general play. He's an inspirational leader and well-grounded young man who "plays for everybody back home to inspire and show you can do anything you want in life" says the native from Potsdam. Shawn is signed for Season 2.

David Still is a 6'3" 235lb middle linebacker at Saginaw Valley State University, and when David makes his tackles, you can see the middle linebacker in each collision. He made numerous jail-break movement halting, last man at fullback no-cleat tackles this season. His defense is a reflection of his superior athleticism and footwork. With the ball-in-hand, David is a treat to score every time he touches the ball. He's very intelligent, focused, and mature about his road forward to become the best fullback in the world. With his work ethic, intelligence, and physical gifts, David projects to the USA National Team. From Glassboro, New Jersey, discipline and commitment run deep in his family, as David's grandfather, USMC Lt. Lee Harris, (RET), was a marine aviator and boxing trainer for Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Carl "The Truth" Williams. His grandfather instilled in a young David the patience, drive, and discipline needed to develop world champion boxers. David is signed for Season 2.

Mark Bullock holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Stanford University. During his coaching career, Mark coached several high school football and rugby teams, including seven championship-winning teams. Mark’s national coaching career found him in several roles for the USA U19 teams, including their formation and management. He also held several coaching positions, including Head Coach from 1998-2002. During his tenure as a USA U19 coach, Mark’s 1998 and 2001 teams played in the Rugby World Cup.  As Director of Rugby for the City of Glendale, Mark oversees multiple men’s and women’s teams. Mark has acted as a key figure in the development of the nationally recognized rugby programs in Glendale, including coordination of the Raptors in the Community program.

Luke Gross is an early crossover athlete from basketball. The 6’10” center from Indiana State & Marshall University converted to rugby at 25 years old, and had a 13-year career thereafter in Europe, for professional clubs Harlequins, Scarlets, & Newcastle.  A second-rower who played for various international club sides, he earned 62 caps with the USA Eagles between 1996 and 2003. Luke finished his playing career as the most-capped Eagle of all time, earning 62 caps from 1996 to 2003. Luke worked for several years at the USA Rugby National Office in Boulder, Colorado as the High-Performance Player Development Manager, helping and coaching at USA Eagles and All-Americans camps. During part of this time, he was also a very successful head coach for the University of Colorado-Boulder. 

Sarah Chobot a member of the United States Women’s U-23 National Team, member of the United States Women’s 7s National Team, member of the United States Women’s National Team XVs, and represented the United States at 2014 Rugby World Cup. Played college rugby at Central Michigan University, where she was a four-time National Champion as member of Midwest U-23 team. Sara has 10 Years of playing experience in the Women’s Premier League and is a two-time WPL Champion winner.

Mose Timoteo was born in American Samoa and was a member of the USA Eagles with 32 Caps. Mose made his test debut against Tonga in 2000 and his last appearance against Barbados in 2006, scoring 15 points in his career as a scrum-half and utility back. Mose played in the 2003 Rugby World Cup and additionally he is an accomplished 7's player with 28 IRB Sevens appearances for the United States in the 2001 and 2005 Rugby World Cup of Sevens. Crowned a champion in several North American rugby competitions, that included PRO Rugby, PRP and two time Super League.

Travis Haugen is a standout representative collegiate rugby player from California State University in Sacramento, who later played for the Glendale Raptors and transitioned his love for the game into a position as a team performance analyst. Travis flies the drone over training sessions, but more importantly, he studies the training & game films closely and breaks down the players' performance into micro-movements, to ensure that the players can learn everything they can from each opportunity to play, train and test their development arc from football to rugby players. 

Peter Pasque has over 10 years of management experience in engineering, construction, and professional rugby. Recruiter at University of Colorado Buffaloes football program. Played rugby for Glendale Raptors, Denver Barbarians and Queen City Rugby Football Club. Earned All-American honorable mentions honor as a four-year starter for the University of Colorado Buffaloes rugby team. Played for the 2000 U-19 Rocky Mountain Team. Competed in the 2000 High School National Championships. Key member of the team that made the 2000 Colorado High School State Finals.