Harlequins: Ex-NFL player Christian Scotland-Williamson set for first start in Premiership Rugby Cup

Stan Wilson 28 Mar 2022 7:50 AM

Former Pittsburgh Steelers player Christian Scotland-Williams has found his way into the Harlequins starting team for the first time this season.

Quins are set to welcome Sale Sharks to the Stoop on Tuesday evening and Scotland-Williams will be looking to use this match to impress, having only played 24 minutes so far this campaign.

The 6’9″ lock has struggled for game time following his return to rugby from the NFL having previously played for the Worcester Warriors.

Scotland-Williams found brief fame in 2017 for a crunching hit he delivered on Wasps’ Alex Rieder.

Failed career swap

Scotland-Williams spent four years attempting to transition from playing lock to tight end in the NFL, a position that involves blocking and catching but has since found his way back to rugby.

As part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) programme the former Warrior was able to take a place on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad for two seasons but he was waved with a Non-Football Injury designation in July 2020.

During his time with the Steelers he saw little to no action in pre-season, registering just one catch for a five yard gain in 2018.

With his brief NFL career finished, Scotland-Williams will now look to get his sporting future back on track with his first start for the South-West London side.

He will partner with George Hammond in the second-row for his first start as Harlequins will look to get back into the win column following a loss to London Irish in their last Premiership Rugby Cup game.

Scotland-Williams is not the first Quin with NFL experience; inside centre Paul Lasike also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears in his similarly brief NFL career with similar struggles to Scotland-Williams.

Harlequins