Houston SaberCats & Chris Coyle
The Houston SaberCats have added a former Arizona State University football tight end at flanker. Chris Coyle will be 26 years old tomorrow and gains his first start after a couple of appearances in the reserves. He is 6’1″ tall and weighs 205 pounds.
Coyle is from Moorpark, California and attended Arizona State University and was the third all-time tight end in receptions with 90, as well as in 4th place in touchdowns with 9. He received NFL interest both the Houston Texans, the New England Patriots, and the New Orleans Saints, before signing as a free agent with the Texans. A minor shoulder injury put him behind at practice and he was released prior to the first pre-season game.
Coyle then turned to rugby. He went to Australia and played with the Gungahlin Eagles. He made his representative debut for the ACT Griffins in Canberra in 2016, just 18 months after trading the gridiron for the John I Dent Cup. “His goal was to try to win a place in the ACT Brumbies squad in a bid to win a Super Rugby contract.”
Griffins and Gungahlin coach Dan Atkins said that “Chris was as green as green could be rugby player when he first turned up. To be honest, I thought it was a nice one-year in-betweener for him and I thought he’d probably go back to NFL. But to his credit, he’s stuck with it and he has probably been one of the best back-rowers in the [Canberra competition] this year.”
“His lineout jumping is outstanding and his work-rate around the park is second to none. He’s constantly training and he’s going really well. For him to be on the side is just a massive credit to him for the work he’s done and he’s the type of guy who would really appreciate selection.”
With hard work, Coyle did make the Brumbies Preliminary Squad that competed in the Central Coast Sevens and then competed with the Brumbies 7s for the Australian nationals in Adelaide.
Chris Coyle is also a capped Eagles Sevens player.
Houston SaberCats Rugby
- Justin Fitzpatrick – Head Coach
- Sam Windsor – Backs Coach, Fly-half
- Matt Trouville – Academy Director, Backrow
- Charlie Hewitt – Lock
- Jake Turnbull – Youth Rugby, Prop
- Adam Macklin – Tighthead Prop
- Connor Murphy – Scrum-half
- Jackson Slater – Lock
- Kyle Sumsion – Flanker
- Christopher Slater – Scrumhalf/ Wing
- Codi Jones – Prop (Injury, Out for Season)
- Diego Armando Maquieira – Hooker
- Pago Haini – Backrow
- Zach Pangelinan – Fullback
- Osea Kolinisau – Center
- Estevan Florez – Prop
- Cecil Garber IV – Flanker
- Colton Pederson – Backrow
- Craig Whitlock – Backrow
- Malacchi Esdale – Center
- Conor Mills – Center
- Kieran Farmer– Flyhalf
- Willie Perry-Jackson – Wing
- Andres Diaz – Hooker
- Josua Vici – Wing
- Chris Parker – Lock
- Chris Milledge – Scrumhalf
- Kenneth Hepburn – Flanker
- Dan Paul – Center, Wing
- Robert Meeson – Lock
- Jack Riley – Hooker, Prop
- Lindsey Stevens – Hooker
- Art Reyes – Wing
- Mo Mascary – Wing
- Jamie Dever – Prop
- Justin Allen – Lock
- Paul Mullen – Prop
- Chauntez Jackson – Prop
- Chris Coyle – Flanker
- Alex Elkins – Wing
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