RIO DE JANEIRO -- Nate Ebner felt hugely honored to have taken part in his first Olympics on an eventful day that saw him score on his first try and pick up a yellow card.
Ebner's progress in Rio was being watched by his New England Patriots teammates back in the U.S. They halted their practice session Tuesday to see how their safety was progressing in sevens. Their support was further amplified by coach Bill Belichick's wearing a USA T-shirt with Ebner's name on the back.
"I heard something about that," Ebner said. "I appreciate it."
As he gave succinct answers to questions thrown in his direction after his team's win over Brazil, it was clear that Ebner is a man on a mission. His aims in Rio are twofold: to win gold with "some of the toughest guys I've ever met" and to leave a long-lasting rugby legacy in the U.S.
Ebner's progress stunned even coach Mike Friday, who thought he'd be up against it as he embarked in April on his journey to try to break into the Olympics mix, but on day one, he managed to score against Brazil. Also, he got a yellow card for a late tackle on the opposition.
He attributed the late hit to "natural instinct," and as he spoke moments after a 26-0 triumph over Brazil, it was too soon to reflect on his try, but he enjoyed playing in the Deodoro Stadium.
"It was a slow start [against Argentina in a 17-14 loss]," Ebner said. "And ultimately, we went on to the next job in Brazil, and we wanted to keep them to zero.
"It wasn't pretty. I'm out there getting yellow cards and stuff -- that's not how we want to play the game. Obviously, there are things we want to do better in sevens, and things don't always go your way, but we got job the done."
The U.S. now face tournament favorites Fiji while looking to secure a place in the quarterfinals. Ebner, who says he will have to bulk up before he returns to NFL but has gained in fitness, is loving the claustrophobic nature of the crowd and hopes that if Team USA can continue to build ahead of the knockouts, interest in the sport will rise in America.
"I hope it does the world for rugby," Ebner said. "I hope it changes the game and we can be trailblazers for something great in the USA. Obviously, that's my hope for the sport. I love this sport, and I want to see it have a tremendous success, but that's up to the people back in the USA to embrace the game."