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Former high school football standout competes for USA rugby team in 2024 Paris Olympics

Former high school football standout competes for USA rugby team in 2024 Paris Olympics
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Former high school football standout competes for USA rugby team in 2024 Paris Olympics
In 2009, Malacchi Esdale moved from his home state of Delaware to Southwest Florida to help spark his football career. The all-around athlete wanted to play college football and thought coming to the 239 would help his recruiting. So, he moved in with his grandmother for three years and played at Naples High School.“Naturally talented with pretty much anything he wanted to do," Esdale's former coach Paul Rokela said.Esdale started off as a quarterback before switching to wide receiver. During his junior year, he caught three touchdowns and accumulated more than 200 yards.“It was great," Esdale said. "Playing football, the level changed immensely. As soon as I stepped in the field, it was like, 'Oh my goodness.'”After his three years with the Golden Eagles, Esdale moved back home for his senior year. He finished off high school in Delaware before playing football at ASA College in New York. Esdale then transferred to the University of Miami, where after a coaching change, he lost his roster spot.“I kind of had fallen out of love with the game of football just because I had been playing for so long," Esdale said.That growing disinterest, coupled with numerous injuries, pushed Esdale to transfer again. This time, he enrolled at Central Florida, where he gave up on football and just wanted to be a normal student.However, after a little bit, the competitor in Esdale came back out. He still had the itch to be an athlete. So, he traded in the pigskin for a rugby ball and started playing the sport that would eventually make him an Olympian.“I didn’t think I would be playing rugby at all," Esdale said. "It just happened naturally.”He first fell in love with rugby when he was living in Southwest Florida. He was very close to Paul Rokela and his children. Rokela is originally from New Zealand and has been around the sport his whole life. So, his kids, and in turn Esdale, were also deeply entrenched in rugby.“We would spend hours at the park," Rokela said. "We would say, 'Come on, Malacchi, let’s go. Come on, let’s play a real game.'”That encouragement and another injury that ended his football season led Esdale to join the local rugby team – the Naples Bears.“The history was written there," Esdale said. "I just fell in love with the sport.”He played only half a season with the Bears before moving back to Delaware. He then switched his focus back to football. That pushed him to ASA, then Miami, and then UCF. Once his football days were behind him, Esdale got back into rugby and has never looked back.Esdale is now a professional rugby player – one of the best in the world. He is headed to his second straight Olympic Games this summer to play for Team USA in Paris.“I feel extremely blessed to be able to put the jersey on and represent these colors," Esdale said.He was a reserve during the 2020 Tokyo Games. So, although he made the trip and was present for the Olympics, he didn't actually take the pitch at all. However, Esdale said that was one of the best things that could have happened because he learned so much.Now, Malacchi is a veteran leader of Team USA. He's using the lessons he learned in 2020 and applying them in 2024. Esdale has represented the U.S. in numerous world competitions, but this summer will be the first time he plays for the Stars and Stripes in the Olympics. His goal is to win America's first Rugby Sevens medal in Olympic history.“I have high expectations," Esdale said. "So I am expecting a medal out of us.”If that happens, he said he'll be celebrating for quite some time.“If I am standing on the podium at the end of the tournament, that’s the last time you’re going to see me for a while," Esdale said while laughing.From the football fields in Southwest Florida to laying the foundation of his rugby career in Naples to now taking the pitch for Team USA on the Olympic stage, Esdale has had quite the journey.
NAPLES, Fla. —

In 2009, Malacchi Esdale moved from his home state of Delaware to Southwest Florida to help spark his football career. The all-around athlete wanted to play college football and thought coming to the 239 would help his recruiting. So, he moved in with his grandmother for three years and played at Naples High School.

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“Naturally talented with pretty much anything he wanted to do," Esdale's former coach Paul Rokela said.

Esdale started off as a quarterback before switching to wide receiver. During his junior year, he caught three touchdowns and accumulated more than 200 yards.

“It was great," Esdale said. "Playing football, the level changed immensely. As soon as I stepped in the field, it was like, 'Oh my goodness.'”

After his three years with the Golden Eagles, Esdale moved back home for his senior year. He finished off high school in Delaware before playing football at ASA College in New York. Esdale then transferred to the University of Miami, where after a coaching change, he lost his roster spot.

“I kind of had fallen out of love with the game of football just because I had been playing for so long," Esdale said.

That growing disinterest, coupled with numerous injuries, pushed Esdale to transfer again. This time, he enrolled at Central Florida, where he gave up on football and just wanted to be a normal student.

However, after a little bit, the competitor in Esdale came back out. He still had the itch to be an athlete. So, he traded in the pigskin for a rugby ball and started playing the sport that would eventually make him an Olympian.

“I didn’t think I would be playing rugby at all," Esdale said. "It just happened naturally.”

He first fell in love with rugby when he was living in Southwest Florida. He was very close to Paul Rokela and his children. Rokela is originally from New Zealand and has been around the sport his whole life. So, his kids, and in turn Esdale, were also deeply entrenched in rugby.

“We would spend hours at the park," Rokela said. "We would say, 'Come on, Malacchi, let’s go. Come on, let’s play a real game.'”

That encouragement and another injury that ended his football season led Esdale to join the local rugby team – the Naples Bears.

“The history was written there," Esdale said. "I just fell in love with the sport.”

He played only half a season with the Bears before moving back to Delaware. He then switched his focus back to football. That pushed him to ASA, then Miami, and then UCF. Once his football days were behind him, Esdale got back into rugby and has never looked back.

Esdale is now a professional rugby player – one of the best in the world. He is headed to his second straight Olympic Games this summer to play for Team USA in Paris.

“I feel extremely blessed to be able to put the jersey on and represent these colors," Esdale said.

He was a reserve during the 2020 Tokyo Games. So, although he made the trip and was present for the Olympics, he didn't actually take the pitch at all. However, Esdale said that was one of the best things that could have happened because he learned so much.

Now, Malacchi is a veteran leader of Team USA. He's using the lessons he learned in 2020 and applying them in 2024. Esdale has represented the U.S. in numerous world competitions, but this summer will be the first time he plays for the Stars and Stripes in the Olympics. His goal is to win America's first Rugby Sevens medal in Olympic history.

“I have high expectations," Esdale said. "So I am expecting a medal out of us.”

If that happens, he said he'll be celebrating for quite some time.

“If I am standing on the podium at the end of the tournament, that’s the last time you’re going to see me for a while," Esdale said while laughing.

From the football fields in Southwest Florida to laying the foundation of his rugby career in Naples to now taking the pitch for Team USA on the Olympic stage, Esdale has had quite the journey.