JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some international players only dream of playing in the NFL. Australian tight end Patrick Murtagh is turning that dream into a reality with the Jaguars.

“To be out here training with the best of the best, in the best facilities, it’s honestly so amazing,” Murtagh said. “I’m making sure I can make the most of every day when I come in here and be a sponge and soak up as much as I can.”

Murtagh played in the Australian Football League before joining the Jaguars through the NFL’s international pathway program this year. The league started that in 2017 and aims to provide athletes with the opportunity to play in the NFL and increase the number of international players in the league.

In the transition to American football, there is a lot to learn, and Murtagh is doing as much a possible to soak it all in

“The physicality, the tempo of everything. Not only in the training, but in the gym as well. We’re moving and there’s so much more classroom work,” Murtagh said. “As I said before the physicality is so intense. Just everything is a big change from the AFL.”

Although Murtagh plays tight end, he wants to be as versatile as possible. That means doing whatever he can on the field for the Jaguars, even working on kicking after practice.

“All those coaches through the IPP made it clear that the more you can do, the better. So we’ve made sure that coming in here we just try to build on skills,” Murtagh said. “I did some snapping as well, some punting. I mean if I have to I’ll line up and have a kick for the kickoffs as well. Just the more you can do.”

Murtagh said that getting a chance to play for the Jaguars can pave the way for future international players to come to the NFL.

“I’ve always had the dream as a kid to play in the NFL. Being in Australia there wasn’t really a way. So, me being here now, going through the international pathway, really opens the doors for a lot of other Australian’s and people all around the world in different sports code,” he said. “So, it’s good to see that myself and all the other boys that are in the league now from the IPP have really opened doors and given a lot of hope and belief to those that may not have thought that going to the NFL may not have been an option for them.”