{{Short description|English American football player (born 2001)}} {{Use British English|date=May 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Travis Clayton | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | current_team = Buffalo Bills | number = 67 | position = Offensive tackle | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|2|17}} | birth_place = Basingstoke, England | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 7 | weight_lb = 301 | high_school = | college = | draftyear = 2024 | draftround = 7 | draftpick = 221 | pastteams = * Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|2024}}–present) | status = Active | highlights = | statseason = | statweek = | statlabel1 = | statvalue1 = | statlabel2 = | statvalue2 = | pfr = ClayTr00 }} '''Travis Clayton''' (born February 17, 2001)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Travis Clayton {{!}} NFL |url=https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/player/_/id/90555/travis-clayton |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=Spotrac.com |language=en}}</ref> is an English professional American football offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played rugby union in England and joined the NFL as part of the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), being selected by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft.
==Early life== Clayton grew up in Basingstoke, Hampshire, in England.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gaughan, Mark |date=27 April 2024 |title=Bills add English prospect Travis Clayton as developmental final pick |url=https://buffalonews.com/sports/buffalo-bills-nfl-draft-travis-clayton-international-pathway-program/article_5a70a06a-04e4-11ef-a0ea-cb9f36cbaafb.html |access-date=27 May 2024 |work=The Buffalo News |archive-date=29 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529074840/https://buffalonews.com/sports/buffalo-bills-nfl-draft-travis-clayton-international-pathway-program/article_5a70a06a-04e4-11ef-a0ea-cb9f36cbaafb.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He played a number of sports growing up, including association football, rowing and boxing, before later focusing on rugby union.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 April 2024 |title=Bills' Travis Clayton: Jolly good selection by Buffalo |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/bills-travis-clayton-jolly-good-selection-by-buffalo/ |access-date=27 May 2024 |work=CBS Sports |archive-date=28 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428010258/https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/bills-travis-clayton-jolly-good-selection-by-buffalo/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Spink, Alex |date=26 April 2024 |title=The little-known British rugby union player tipped to follow Louis Rees-Zammit into the NFL |url=https://www.planetrugby.com/news/the-little-known-british-rugby-union-player-tipped-to-follow-louis-rees-zammit-into-the-nfl |access-date=27 May 2024 |publisher=Planet Rugby |archive-date=28 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428010301/https://www.planetrugby.com/news/the-little-known-british-rugby-union-player-tipped-to-follow-louis-rees-zammit-into-the-nfl |url-status=live }}</ref> He played football as a member of the Fulham Academy and later had stints with Reading, Southampton and Chelsea.<ref name="auto" /> He later joined Basingstoke R.F.C., a team in the eighth tier of the English rugby union system.<ref name="auto" />
==American football career== Clayton had first tried out American football in 2019, spending time with the newly started NFL Academy in London, although he left the program soon after.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web |last=Kahler, Kalyn |date=27 April 2024 |title=Could one of these international NFL Draft prospects be the next Jordan Mailata? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5450359/2024/04/27/bayron-matos-travis-clayton-nfl-draft-international-pathway-mailata/ |access-date=27 May 2024 |website=The Athletic |archive-date=28 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428012507/https://theathletic.com/5450359/2024/04/27/bayron-matos-travis-clayton-nfl-draft-international-pathway-mailata/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Four years later, he decided to give the sport another shot.<ref name="auto3" /> He rejoined the academy and after success there, was chosen in January 2024 as one of 16 participants in the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), designed to give international players more opportunities to play in the league.<ref name="Rooks-Taylor, Matt">{{Cite news |last=Rooks-Taylor, Matt |date=21 January 2024 |title=NFL International Player Pathway: Travis Clayton selected |url=https://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/24060012.nfl-international-player-pathway-travis-clayton-selected/ |access-date=27 May 2024 |work=Basingstoke Gazette |archive-date=28 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428012502/https://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/24060012.nfl-international-player-pathway-travis-clayton-selected/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Malchow, Alex |date=28 January 2024 |title=2024 NFL International Player Pathway spotlight: Travis Clayton, OL, England |url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/2024-nfl-international-player-pathway-spotlight-travis-clayton-ol-england-nfl/ |access-date=27 May 2024 |website=American Football International |archive-date=27 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427215634/https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/2024-nfl-international-player-pathway-spotlight-travis-clayton-ol-england-nfl/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 7 | weight = 301 | dash = 4.81 | ten split = 1.68 | twenty split = 2.81 | vertical = 26.0 | bench = 19 | arm span = 35 | hand span = 10 | note = All values from Pro Day<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/videos/bills-select-travis-clayton-with-no-221-pick-in-2024-draft |title=Bills select Travis Clayton with No. 221 pick in 2024 draft |website=NFL.com |access-date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=30 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430085129/https://www.nfl.com/videos/bills-select-travis-clayton-with-no-221-pick-in-2024-draft |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1100106&DraftYear=2024 |title=2024 NFL Draft Scout Travis Clayton College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=30 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430085129/https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1100106&DraftYear=2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> }}
Clayton spent ten weeks learning the sport while training at IMG Academy.<ref name="auto" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 January 2024 |title=NFL announces International Pathway Program Class of 2024 |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-international-pathway-program-class-of-2024 |access-date=27 May 2024 |publisher=National Football League |archive-date=4 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404205959/https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-international-pathway-program-class-of-2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> He received praise for his pro day performance, measuring at {{convert|6|ft|7|in}} and {{convert|301|lb|kg st}} with a 7-foot (2.1 m) wingspan, while running the 40-yard dash in 4.81 seconds.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite news |last=O'Sullivan, Brendan |date=27 April 2024 |title=What is the International Player Pathway? England's Travis Clayton becomes second NFL Draft pick ever from overseas program |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/international-player-pathway-travis-clayton-nfl-draft/72ae15dd0610bbf9ad68a66e |access-date=27 May 2024 |work=The Sporting News |archive-date=28 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428013037/https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/international-player-pathway-travis-clayton-nfl-draft/72ae15dd0610bbf9ad68a66e |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto3" /> His 40-yard dash time was better than any offensive lineman at the NFL Scouting Combine.<ref name="auto3" /> He was invited to tryout with several teams and received comparisons to Jordan Mailata, an Australian rugby league player who became a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles.<ref name="auto" /><ref name="auto3" /> Unlike other IPPP participants such as Louis Rees-Zammit, Clayton was eligible for the 2024 NFL draft due to being within four years of having graduated high school.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |last=Smith, Michael David |date=27 April 2024 |title=Bills draft Travis Clayton, rugby player who has never played football |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/bills-draft-travis-clayton-rugby-player-who-has-never-played-football |access-date=27 May 2024 |website=ProFootballTalk |publisher=NBC Sports |archive-date=28 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428013541/https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/bills-draft-travis-clayton-rugby-player-who-has-never-played-football |url-status=live }}</ref> Although never having played in a game of American football before, he was chosen in the seventh round of the draft – 221st overall – by the Buffalo Bills, becoming the second-ever IPPP participant to be drafted after Mailata.<ref name="auto2" /><ref name="auto1" /> He was placed on injured reserve on August 27, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Alec |date=August 27, 2024 |title=Buffalo Bills made these moves to get to initial 53-man roster |url=https://www.buffalobills.com/news/buffalo-bills-made-these-moves-to-get-to-initial-53-man-roster |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=BuffaloBills.com}}</ref>
On August 26, 2025, Clayton was released by the Bills as part of final roster cuts and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Glab |first1=Maddy |title=Bills release 27 players Aug. 26 |url=https://www.buffalobills.com/news/bills-release-27-players-aug-26 |website=BuffaloBills.com |access-date=27 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bills sign 16 players to practice squad |url=https://www.buffalobills.com/news/bills-sign-16-players-to-practice-squad |access-date=2025-08-27 |website=BuffaloBills.com |language=en-US}}</ref> On January 19, 2026, he signed a reserve/futures contract with Buffalo.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bills announce 2026 reserve/future signings |url=https://www.buffalobills.com/news/bills-announce-2026-reserve-future-signings |website=BuffaloBills.com |access-date=20 January 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.buffalobills.com/team/players-roster/travis-clayton/ Buffalo Bills bio]
{{Buffalo Bills roster navbox}} {{Bills2024DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clayton, Travis}} Category:2001 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Basingstoke Category:English players of American football Category:International Player Pathway participants Category:American football offensive linemen Category:Buffalo Bills players